Colombia coach Jose Pekerman praised Los Cafeteros’ teamwork after his side disposed of Japan 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Juan Cuadrado and James Rodrigues added to their World Cup goal tallies while Jackson Martinez opened his account with a brace. Shinji Okazaki scored a late first-half goal for the Blue Samurai who leave the tournament with a single point from three matches.
“We are very happy,” Pekerman told ESPN.
“We have won a very difficult match, as expected.
“We feel confident because we have proved once again that Colombia is a very close-knit group.
“It is wonderful to have a team like this.”
Los Cafeteros’ first place finish in Group C sets up a round of 16 matchup with fellow South American side Uruguay, who defeated Italy 1-0 earlier on Tuesday and Pekerman believes the match will be a real battle.
“I know that we’re going to face one of the biggest teams in South America in Uruguay,” the 63-year old Argentine tactician stated.
“They always play well and have a rich history. They have many experienced players and we know they never give up.
“They are coherent and are a strong team.”
Colombia has 11 wins and Uruguay has 18 from their 38 previous meetings.
