Colombia, with several players in top form who are exciting their fans as the team returns to the World Cup, will face a first-time participant today: the Uzbekistan national team, coached by Italian Fabio Cannavaro, a World Cup champion as a player.
On the first day of Group K—in which Portugal will make its debut against the Congo in Houston just hours earlier—the Colombian team, led by Argentine coach Néstor Lorenzo, will take the field to prove they are the favorites against a tenacious opponent that will have no problem ceding possession, confident that it can strike back with swift counterattacks.
A Colombia That Dreams Big
Ranked 14th in the FIFA rankings, Colombia is poised to at least match its 2014 run to the quarterfinals.
With a well-balanced lineup on the wings, the South American team qualified for the World Cup after a strong qualifying campaign, in which it finished third with wins over Argentina and Brazil.
Luis Díaz, a forward for Bayern Munich, finished second in the scoring race in the series with seven goals.
He trails leader Lionel Messi by one goal, and after scoring 15 goals for his team in the Bundesliga, he heads into the World Cup brimming with confidence.
It's the first day of Group K
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The forward will partner with Luis Javier Suárez, and James Rodríguez will play behind them.
He is still going strong at age 34 and led the qualifiers in assists.
James, the leading scorer at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, will provide the team with more than just passes.
His leadership will be key to inspiring a historic performance from a team with a strong defense, featuring center backs Davinson Sánchez of Galatasaray in Turkey and Jhon Lucumí of Bologna in Italy (Filed under: Colombia vs. Uzbekistan).
Uzbekistan Threatens Physical Resistance
Led by Fabio Cannavaro, a World Cup champion as a player 20 years ago, the Uzbek team is better than its No. 50 ranking suggests.
Strong, physically imposing, and highly competitive, this Asian team is not your typical lethal side from midfield forward.
Instead, he’ll try to stay on the defensive and strike with counterattacks.
With a defense led by Abdu Khusanov of Manchester City in the English Premier League, the team boasts a talented midfield.
Like Azizjon Ganiev and Oston Uronov, and a forward with a predatory instinct in the box: Eldor Shomurodov.
Colombia will have the support of the fans who will fill the Azteca, now called Estadio Ciudad de México.
Where goalkeeper Camilo Vargas has made several of his best saves while playing for Atlas in Mexican soccer.
Coach Lorenzo knows that the Uzbeks, due to their physical exertion, tend to run out of steam in the final minutes of the game.
A major challenge for Cannavaro’s team at 2,240 meters above sea level.
Facing a tired defense, Díaz, Suárez, and James will be even more dangerous (Filed under: Colombia vs. Uzbekistan).
Probable lineups
Uzbekistan: Utkir Yusupov; Khojiakbar Alijonov, Abdukodir Khusanov, Umar Eshmurodov, Rustam Ashurmatov, Sherzod Nasrullaev; Otabek Shukorov, Odiljon Xamrobekov, Azizjon Ganiev, Oston Uronov; Eldor Shomurodov.
Head Coach: Fabio Cannavaro.
Colombia: Camilo Vargas; Daniel Múñoz, Davinson Sánchez, Jhon Lucumí, Johan Mojica; Jefferson Lerma, Richard Ríos, James Rodríguez, Jhon Arias, Luis Díaz, Luis Javier Suárez.
Coach: Néstor Lorenzo.
Referee: Anthony Taylor, from England.
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de México, 2,240 meters above sea level.
Time: 8:00 p.m. (2:00 a.m. GMT on Wednesday) – (Filed under: Colombia, Uzbekistan).
With information from EFE
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