The coffee is brewing

Colombia have jumped 13 places to ninth in the latest FIFA World Rankings, another sign they are the South American country to keep an eye on as we approach Brazil 2014.

Los Cafeteros (coffee-growers) have not qualified for a World Cup Finals since 1998, when they went out in the first round after defeats by England and Romania.

But after seven games they currently sit second in the CONMEBOL qualifying table for Brazil 2014, and with four and a half South American places up for grabs, Colombia has a wonderful chance of returning to the World Cup after 16 years away.

Always the bridesmaid it seems, for a country capable of producing so many skilful footballers. Even when Colombia were granted the staging rights for the 1986 World Cup Finals, they had them taken away and handed to Mexico after FIFA altered the hosting requirements.

At Itaila '90 Francisco Maturana's team looked outrageously talented, at one point making the eventual winners West Germany chase shadows with their passing game. But with the flair came the hubris, as Colombia's crazy goalkeeper Rene 'El Loco' Higuita, he of the Wembley scorpion kick, dribbled the ball upfield in the second round clash with Cameroon, only to be robbed by Roger Milla, who went on to score and knock Colombia out.

At USA 1994 Higuita was not there having just served a jail term for his role in a kidnapping, but the sublime mop-haired passer Carlos Valderrama and attacking midfielder Freddy Rincon were, and Los Cafeteros also had the outstanding long-legged marksman Faustino Asprilla.

Expectations reached fever pitch pre-tournament as Colombia thumped Argentina 5-0 in Buenos Aires in the final qualifer, topping the group and sending the Albiceleste to Australia for an Intercontinental Playoff.

Pelé tipped them to hoist the trophy, but the supposed golden age of Colombian soccer collapsed in misery as the team lost 2-1 to a weak host nation and an own-goal by Andres Escobar, who ended up riddled with bullets in a Medellin car park ten days later.

The evil influence of the drug cartels on Colombian soccer was suddenly, shockingly, laid bare to the world. Asprilla later said the players were terrified going into the US match, expecting snipers would take them out from the stands of the Rose Bowl.

Almost two decades on and the cartels' power has been curbed, not least thanks to the death of Pablo Escobar, who 'invested' heavily in his favourite sport.

The Colombian national team is recovering well too and in Atletico Madrid's Radamel Falcao they now have one of the hottest strikers in Europe. At the helm is former Argentina coach Jose Pekerman.

There were high hopes going into last year's Copa America, and Colombia duly topped their group, but made an unexpected exit in the quarter-finals after two late goals from surprise package Peru.

With the next World Cup on South American territory and five and a half places on the table for CONMEBOL teams, Brazil 2014 should see Colombia make a welcome return to the highest stage.



FIFA TOP TEN October 2012

1 Spain
2 Germany
3 Portugal
4 Argentina
5 England
6 The Netherlands
7 Uruguay
8 Italy
9 Colombia
10 Greece

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile


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Argentina depressed by second Copa draw

Copa America 2011

Argentina 0:0 Colombia

The host nation has embarked on a round of navel-gazing following a second successive draw in the Copa America.

On a foggy night in Santa Fe, Argentina, despite boasting the likes of Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez in their lineup, failed to catch fire and stumbled listlessly to a goalless finish with Colombia.

If anything, Los Cafeteros (the coffee growers) should have stolen the three points and enjoyed the better chances, particularly an open-goal miss by Dayro Moreno in the first half.

A limp back-pass by Barcelona's Gabriel Milito had allowed Adrian Ramos a clear run on goal and the Hertha Berlin striker tapped the ball wide of Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero before being scythed down by Nicolas Burdisso for a stonewall penalty.

But the referee played advantage as Moreno was racing in from the left with only a vacant net to hit. Luckily for the hosts the Tijuana striker fired into the side-netting instead.

Ramos had already spurned a chance to give Colombia the lead, Pablo Armero whistled a diagonal effort inches wide and Chelsea target Falcao troubled Romero with a couple of long-range shots.

Messi at one point looked to have injured himself with nobody near him, putting too much pressure on his right leg. The World Player of the Year dazzled at times but his and Tevez's dribbling cameos occurred in isolation as the Albiceleste (White & Sky Blue) put in a disjointed performance devoid of real attacking team-play.

Argentina might have grabbed a goal in the first half when Napoli marksman Ezequiel Lavezzi was one-on-one with Neco Martinez, but the Colombian goalkeeper stretched out a leg to prevent the strike. After the break subsititute striker Gonzalo Higuain cut in dangerously from the left and drew a low save from Martinez at his near post but was the extent of the hosts' threat in front of goal.

"The worst moment of the Batista era" cried 'La Nacion' newspaper in Argentina, piling the pressure onto the beleaguered coach Sergio Batista.

"Batista guides the Titanic towards the iceberg," decided Spain's AS, and "Come back Diego" was the cheeky headline in Brazil's Globodesporte.

Batista in his defence, wondered if his diminutive ball wizards were not the problem rather than the solution: "Maybe we lack a No.9 in the box", he noted.

Argentina's last group game is on Monday against Costa Rica in Cordoba, where only victory will do to ensure passage to the quarter-finals.

ARG - Romero, Zabaleta, Burdisso, Milito, Zanetti, Banega (Higuain 71'), Mascherano, Cambiasso (Gago 64'), Lavezzi (Aguero 64') Messi, Tevez
COL- Martinez, Armero, Perea, Yepes, Zunida, Aguilar, Guarin, Dayro Moreno (Mosquera 91'), Ramos (Soto 89'), Carlos Moreno, Falcao (Gutierrez 87')

Group A
Colombia Pld 2 pts 4
Argentina Pld 2 Pts 2
Bolivia Pld 1 Pts 1
Costa Rica Pld 1 Pts 0

Today: Bolivia v Costa Rica




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Colombia take early lead in Copa America

Argentina 1:1 Bolivia
Colombia 1:0 Costa Rica

Colombia are the early leaders of Group A after labouring to a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in Jujuy.

The host nation, boasting an all-star lineup including Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, had opening night nerves in La Plata, allowing Bolivia to steal a lead two minutes after half time through Edivaldo Rojas. But Sergio Aguero spared Argentina's blushes with a 76th minute equaliser.



Colombia, who won their only Copa at home in 2001, grabbed three points from Adrian Ramos' strike on the cusp of half-time. Invitees Costa Rica had Randall Brenes red-carded for a reckless knee-high tackle after 27 minutes. Los Cafeteros and Argentina meet in Santa Fe on Wednesday.

Sunday: Brazil v Venezuela, Paraguay v Ecuador

* * *

In the FIFA Women's World Cup, the USA made it to the last eight, eliminating debutants Colombia with a 3-0 win in Sinsheim. Sweden are also through, after beating North Korea 1-0 in Augsburg.

Australia got their campaign back on track with a 3:2 win over Equatorial Guinea in Bochum, leaving three nations on three points in Group D going into tonight's Brazil v Norway clash.

* * *

In the FIFA U-17 World Cup it is quarter-final time with Uruguay taking on Uzbekistan and Japan facing Brazil today, with England v Germany and France v Mexico tomorrow.

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