World Cup preview: Colombia

The Road To The World Cup

After missing out on three consecutive World Cups, Colombia ensured their return to the tournament with an exclamation point, going 9-3-4 in the qualifiers to finish second in South America’s supergrupo.

Schedule

Formation: 4-5-1

With Falcao in their squad, Colombia would have had two options regarding their formation for the World Cup. 

They could have opted for a 4-4-2, where a striker such as River Plate's Teofilo Gutierrez is deployed alongside Falcao to make up for El Tigre's inability to link up with the midfield. 

Or they could have opted for a 4-5-1, a formation where Falcao plays as a lone striker but that allows room for an extra midfielder. With names such as Jose Guillermo Cuadrado, Aldo Leao Ramirez, Carlos Sanchez, Abel Aguilar, James Rodriguez, and Fredy Guarin in their World Cup squad, Colombia have so many quality midfielders, Jose Pekerman doesn't know what to do with them.

Well, with Falcao now ruled out of the World Cup after failing to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, Los Cafeteros are sure to go with the midfield-accommodating 4-5-1.

Regarding who replaces Falcao as the lone striker remains to be seen, but it will definitely be one of Gutierrez, Carlos Bacca, or Jackson Martinez.

Manager: Jose Pekerman

After guiding Argentina to the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup, Jose Pekerman is back at the tournament for the second time in his career.

Many believe that thanks to Pekerman, Colombia has a clear footballing identity for the first time since the 1990s. The team knows who they are, what they’re trying to accomplish, and how to play within the manager's system.

Pekerman’s experience with Colombian football dates back to his playing days in the 1970s, when he was a prominent midfielder at Independiente Medellin. His knowledge of the game is hard to match, and it shouldn’t come as any surprise that he was selected as Colombia’s first foreign coach in 30 years.

Projected Starting XI

GK: David Ospina

RB: Juan Camilo Zuniga

CB: Mario Yepes

CB: Cristian Zapata

LB: Pablo Armera

RM: Juan Guillermo Cuadrado

RCM: Fredy Guarin

CM: Carlos Sanchez

LCM: Abel Aguilar

LM: James Rodriguez

ST: Teofilo Gutierrez

Substitutes

GK: Faryd Mondragon

GK: Camilo Vargas

DF: Cristian Zapata

DF: Santiago Arias

DF: Eder Alvarez Balanta

DF: Carlos Valdes

MF: Aldo Leao Ramirez

MF: Juan Fernando Quintero

MF: Victor Ibarbo

FW: Jackson Martinez

FW: Carlos Bacca

FW: Adrian Ramos

The Captain: Mario Yepes

At 38 years of age, Atalanta centre-back Mario Yepes will be one of the oldest players at the World Cup. But his experience and organization of Colombia's back-line will be essential in keeping other teams off the scoresheet. 

Yepes first featured for Colombia’s national team in 1999, and was an integral part of the squad that won the 2001 Copa America without conceding a single goal. 

However, there are weaknesses to his game that could leave Los Cafeteros exposed in Brazil. Yepes led the South American qualifiers in yellow cards, picking up seven in 12 games. His physical style of play makes him a likely candidate for a red card or a suspension in Brazil. 

On top of that, Yepes lacks pace and often drops so deep that a gap opens up between Colombia’s back-line and midfield. 

But despite the concerns, make no mistake that Yepes is a key component in Colombia’s bid to shock the world.

The Star: James Rodriguez

At 22 years of age, Rodriguez is already one of the most versatile players around. 

An attacking midfielder who can play on either flank as well as in the middle of the pitch, Rodriguez’s ability to thread passes through the opposition’s back-line will guarantee that Colombia's strikers get their fair share of scoring chances at the World Cup. 

Rodriguez’s speed, dribbling skills, and technical ability make him an ideal playmaker for Colombia, and it should come as no surprise that his precision passing has earned him comparisons to the legendary Carlos Valderrama. It doesn't hurt that he also possesses a left foot than can hit the back of the net from seemingly anywhere.

The Young Gun: Eder Balanta

At 21 years of age, River Plate centre-back Eder Balanta will be the youngest member of Colombia's squad at the World Cup.

He's unlikely to see much playing time unless Mario Yepes' lack of pace is continually leaving the back-line exposed, but the tournament will mark an important step in what should be a phenomenal international career for Balanta.

His club form has been so impressive that cash-strapped River Plate have reportedly assigned him a 50-million-Euro price tag, a transfer fee higher than that of Rio Ferdinand, the world’s most expensive defender (46-million Euros).

The Swan Song: Aldo Leao Ramirez

Albo Leao Ramirez's international career has experienced a revival under Jose Pekerman.

After nearly four years without a single call-up to Los Cafeteros, Ramirez was inserted into Colombia's squad towards the beginning of their qualifying campaign and has since turned into one of the team's first options off the bench. He started the odd qualifier for Colombia, but his role is normally that of a late-impact substitute for Abel Aguilar or another central midfielder.

At 33 years of age, and with Colombia's midfield future looking bright, this will almost certainly be Ramirez's last appearance in a World Cup.

Trivial Matters

Nicknames: Los Cafeteros.

Most caps: Carlos Valderrama (111).

Top scorer: Arnoldo Iguaran (25).

First international: February 10, 1938. Mexico 1 - Colombia 3.

World Cup appearances: Four, beginning in 1962.

Best World Cup result: Round of 16 in 1990.

Moment of Futbol

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