Jackson Martinez bagged a brace as Colombia crushed Japan 4-1 and made history, setting up a Last 16 meeting with Uruguay.
Los Cafeteros were already qualified, but Alberto Zaccheroni’s Japan were still in with a small chance of going through despite scraping just one point in a 0-0 draw with 10-man Greece.
Jackson Martinez bagged a brace as Colombia crushed Japan 4-1 and made history, setting up a Last 16 meeting with Uruguay.
Los Cafeteros were already qualified, but Alberto Zaccheroni’s Japan were still in with a small chance of going through despite scraping just one point in a 0-0 draw with 10-man Greece.
Yoshito Okubu had an early effort charged down for the Blue Samurai, but Colombia took the lead.
Adrian Ramos sprinted into the box and Yasuyuki Konno mistimed the sliding tackle to bring him down for a penalty. Fiorentina” data-scaytid=”7″>Fiorentina winger Juan Guillerme Cuadrado stepped up and powerfully converted the spot-kick for his first World Cup goal, having already provided several assists.
Shinji Kagawa almost grabbed an equaliser with a well-worked solo move, but a desperate David Ospina save at the near post denied him.
Keisuke Honda of Milan also went very close, his free kick skimming the upright and with the last move of the half it was 1-1.
Honda provided the assist, curling a cross in for the spectacular diving header of Shinji Okazaki.
After the restart Carlos Carbonero turned over from a free kick to the back post, but Colombia kept pushing and restored their advantage.
James Martinez smartly passed with the outside of the boot to set up Jackson Martinez for a precise angled drive into the far bottom corner.
Japan almost drew level again, as Ospina misjudged a cross from Inter full-back Yuto Nagatomo and was fortunate to see Okubo’s header whistle wide.
Ospina did better punching away a long-range free kick from Honda, while Okubo blasted over from six yards as Atsuto Uchida pulled across from the right.
Japan left themselves wide open on the counter and Colombia took advantage, as James Rodriguez again provided a good disguised through ball for Jackson Martinez, who sold Uchida with a dummy before curling into the far corner.
Colombia gave goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon an appearance, setting a new record as the oldest player ever in a World Cup at the age of 43.
There was still time for James Rodriguez to spring the offside trap, do a double dummy on the helpless Japanese defender and lob the goalkeeper. It was a fantastic individual strike from one of Colombia’s stand-out players in this tournament.
Japan 1-4 Colombia
Scorers: Cuadrado pen 19 (C), Okazaki 45 (J), Martinez 55, 82 (C), James Rodriguez 90 (C)
Japan: Kawashima; Uchida, Konno, Yoshida, Nagatomo; Aoyama (Yamaguchi 62), Hasebe; Kagawa (Kiyotake 85), Honda, Okazaki (Kakitani 69); Okubo
Colombia: Ospina (Mondragon 85); Arias, Valdes, Balanta, Armero; Cuadrado (Carbonero 46), Guarin, Mejia, Quintero (J Rodriguez 46); Ramos, Martinez
Ref: Proenca (POR)