Although they have been off the World Cup circuit for a number of years, an exciting summer lies ahead for Colombia and their big-name stars. Sky Sports examines their chances.
Monday 9 June 2014 10:15, UK
The inclusion of Radamel Falcao in Colombia's provisional squad has provided Jose Pekerman's side with a huge boost and a real sense of optimism as they prepare for Brazil.
It may be their first World Cup appearance since 1998, but expectations of this Colombia side are fairly high after being placed in what has been widely regarded as a favourable group alongside Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan.
Pekerman’s men finished two points behind Argentina in the South American Zone of qualifying and, although they have only once progressed beyond the group stages of the competition, their array of highly-rated talent means they are seen as one of the tournament’s dark horses.
Monaco’s James Rodriguez and Inter Milan’s Fredy Guarin provide the creativity in midfield, while Porto’s Jackon Martinez is more than capable of striking fear into opposition defences should Radamel Falcao’s fitness prove to be an issue.
Saturday June 14: Colombia v Greece – Belo Horizonte (17:00)
Thursday June 19: Colombia v Ivory Coast - Brasilia (17:00)
Tuesday June 24: Japan v Colombia – Cuiaba (21:00)
Pekerman took charge of Argentina’s 2006 World Cup campaign which saw them reach the quarter-finals, and it was following defeat to his home nation in qualifying that he stepped into this job in 2012. The 64-year-old’s impact was immediately noticeable as he shored up the defence to finish the group with the fewest goals conceded and Colombia’s place in Brazil secure after a 16-year absence from the competition. Pekerman is meticulous with his tactics and is not afraid to make big decisions, as Javier Zanetti and Walter Samuel found out when they were dropped during the 2006 tournament. Adored by the Colombia fans, he has helped bring a new sense of optimism to the national team.
Such is the importance of the Monaco striker that Colombia’s odds for the World Cup were immediately shortened when he was included in Pekerman’s provisional squad. The 28-year-old ruptured his ACL while playing for Monaco back in January, but desperate to feature in his first World Cup, Falcao remained optimistic of a speedy recovery in time for Brazil. The striker is five goals away from matching all-time top scorer Arnoldo Iguaran’s record of 25 and he found the net nine times in 17 Ligue 1 games this season prior to his injury.
Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Nice), Faryd Mondragon (Deportivo Cali), Camilo Vargas (Santa Fe).
Defenders: Mario Yepes (Atalanta), Cristian Zapata (AC Milan), Carlos Valdes (San Lorenzo), Eder Alvarez Balanta (River Plate), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Camilo Zuniga (Napoli), Pablo Armero (West Ham).
Midfielders: Carlos Sanchez (Elche), Fredy Guarin (Inter Milan), Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), Aldo Leao Ramirez (Morelia), Juan Fernando Quintero (Porto), Víctor Ibarbo (Cagliari), James Rodriguez (Monaco), Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (Fiorentina), Alexander Mejia (Atletico Nacional).
Forwards: Jackson Martinez (Porto), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Adrian Ramos (Hertha Berlin), Teofilo Gutierrez (River Plate).
Rated joint-seventh favourites along with Holland and France, Colombia are given the third-best chance of the South American sides to win the World Cup, with only front-runners Brazil and Argentina ranked ahead of them in the latest betting. Even 2010 semi-finalists Uruguay are a longer price at 28/1, with Chile next in line at 50/1. Colombia's best performance in a World Cup is the last 16, achieved in 1990, and they are 13/8 to repeat that feat this summer, while they are odds-on shots to finish top of their group.
