Colombia & Rodriguez make history in 2014 World Cup

After missing out in the last three World Cup finals Colombia have made a remarkable comeback by written a new page in their football history. (Photo: The new born star James Rodriquez takes Colombia to the quarter-final)

The performance of the South American nation so far in the ongoing World Cup in Brazil is their best ever in the history of the competition after defeating Uruguay on 28 June to reach the quarter-final stage for the first time.

Colombia who had played 13 matches in four World Cups in 1962, 1990, 1994 and 1998 prior to the 2014 finals can go one step further if they eliminate host nation Brazil in Forteleza on Friday.

For the first time Colombia have won all three matches in the group stage after victories over Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan and the first time also they have scored more than two goals in a world Cup.

Thanks in no small part to the new born star James Rodriguez whose inspired performance with five goals so far has made Colombia the surprise package of the tournament.

Rodriguez is currently the tournament’s leading goal scorer making him the first Colombian player to ever scored five goals in a World Cup finals.

He’s also both the first player to score in the first four games of a World Cup since Brazil’s Ronaldo and Rivaldo in the 2002 and the first player to score in each of his first four World Cup matches since Italy’s Christian Vieri in 1998.

The 22-year old Monaco forward has perfectly filled the space left by the injured striker Radamel Falcao with his scoring ability and has established himself as one of the stars of the of the tournament and a candidate for the best player award.

Already he has been named man of the match three times in their four matches so far.

He’s now being talked out by pundits in Brazil for his outstanding performance and has been lauded.

Rodriguez netted a brace against Uruguay in the Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana Stadium where he scored arguably the best goal so far of the tournament before scoring one of the best team efforts in a 2-0 win.

Even if Colombia fail to progress beyond the quarter-final stage, the performance of Rodriguez in the 2014 World Cup will never be forgotten.

By Mohamed Fajah Barrie in Belo Horinzonte, Brazil

Credit: Sports Writers Association of Sierra Leone (SWASAL) & www.sierraleonefootball.com

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