Goals: Colombia—James 64' Quintero 70'; Ivory Coast—Gervinho 73'
Recap: An onslaught of second half efficiency allowed Colombia to capture a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Thursday.
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Both sides saw few chances in the first 45 minutes, with the clearest belonging to Los Cafeteros. An inch-perfect cross from Juan Cuadrado fumbled at the feet of Teofilo Gutierrez, innocently sweeping wide of Boubacar Barry. Colombia would break through in the second half. James Rodriguez opened the affair in the 64th minute. A clinical finish from Juan Quintero doubled the advantage just six minutes later.
Gervinho pulled one back for Ivory Coast, but his individual efforts were futile.
The victory all but ensures Colombia's qualification for the Round of 16.
Key Moment: Colombia found its opening goal, but the method in which the situation was created mattered most. Jostling for possession, James Rodriguez hustled to save the ball from crossing the touch line. A launch into the area forced a clearance from Souleymane Bamba. A corner-kick was awarded. Ivory Coast's fate was sealed from there.
Man of the Match: He provided an assist, but the manner in which Colombia's Juan Cuadrado danced around the opposition is worthy of mention. The 26-year-old put on a stellar performance, completing three highlight dribbles.
Lesson Learned: Colombia is more than Radamel Falcao...much more. The 28-year-old was forced to miss the 2014 World Cup due to injury (torn ACL), but the team showed the world there is no shortage of attacking talent in Colombia. Continued performances from James, Cuadrado and Gutierrez make Los Cafeteros favorites to advance beyond the Round of 16.
Up Next: Ivory Coast travels to Fortaleza with hopes of qualifying for the knockout round on June 24, while Colombia visits Cuiaba to face Japan.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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