Colombia beat Uruguay 2-0 at the Maracana on Saturday evening at the Round of 16 stage in the World Cup.
James Rodriguez opened the scoring for Colombia during the first half with a spectacular effort and he got his second at the start of the second half after finishing off a wonderful team move.
The game struggled to establish a rhythm in the early exchanges despite Colombia’s control of possession and Juan Camilo Zuniga’s long-range strike that was fired straight at Fernando Muslera was the game’s first noteworthy event.
Uruguay looked threatening in the 18th minute after Diego Godin played a long diagonal ball forward to Edinson Cavani but the former Napoli striker just failed to stop the ball from going out for a goal kick.
Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 28th minute in spectacular fashion. He controlled the ball on his chest outside the box facing away from goal before in one motion, turning to hit it on the volley with his left foot past Muslera via the underside of the bar.
La Celeste looked to answer in the 31st minute but Carlos Sanchez did well to nod a threatening cross out for a corner at the last moment.
Alvaro Gonzalez fired a dangerous-looking shot away in the 38th minute from the corner of the area and it was saved well by David Ospina who was not disturbed by Cavani’s attempts to re-direct the flight of the ball with his head and with little happening afterwards, the sides went into half-time with Los Cafeteros enjoying a one goal advantage.
Colombia scored their second five minutes into the second half with an excellent team goal. After some intricate passing, the ball was shifted to Pablo Armero on the left flank whose cross to the far post was cleverly nodded back by Juan Cuadrado to Rodriguez who had a simple tap in to double his and his team’s tally for the day.
Cristian Rodriguez stung the palms of Ospina with a powerful drive from distance in the 63rd minute that was well saved by the Colombian goalkeeper.
Rodriguez picked up the ball in a dangerous looking position inside the area after a Gaston Ramirez free kick ricocheted and fell at his feet in the 68th minute. However, Mario Yepes got across to block his shot at the last moment and Cavani headed over from the subsequent corner.
Uruguay continued to exert pressure and Christian Stuani headed wide in the 70th minute after getting onto the end of a floating Cavani cross.
Stuani came close to scoring a freak goal in the 74th minute after a mishit cross looped towards goal and Ospina opted to tip it over his bar rather than take any chances.
Maxi Pereira found himself on the end of a fortunate rebound inside the area but his close range effort was blocked by the onrushing Ospina.
Uruguay came close again in the 84th minute as Cavani forced Ospina to get down to tip his shot around the post but Colombia were not seriously threatened.
After the victory, Colombia now head to Fortaleza for their quarter-final against Brazil.
