Colombians were on the cusp of inexplicable sorrow on Tuesday. They had relinquished a lead. They trailed 2-1. Just 11 minutes remained for the hosts to salvage their FIFA U-20 World Cup dream. They prayed fanatically for a goal that would take the game into extra time.
Their wishes were not just answered but eclipsed. Indeed, a Franco equaliser and a James Rodriguez spot-kick sent the masses at ‘El Campin’ into ecstasy and Eduardo Lara’s team into the quarterfinals.
Exceptionally, all four of the day’s ties were decided by penalties. Argentina’s edged Egypt 2-1 in a contest in which all the goals came from 12 yards, while Nelson Oliveira’s unanswered conversion grabbed Portugal victory over Guatemala. Then, after 120 minutes failed to separate Mexico and Cameroon, the Africans missed all their three efforts and the North Americans dispatched the same number to go through.
Nobody could have predicted the matchday’s fanciful script.
Arnoldo Iguaran’s effort in Colombia’s 2-0 win over Bolivia was voted the goal of the tournament at the Copa America 1987. Not, however, for the pacy forward’s contribution to it, but for the breathtaking, along-the-turf through-ball which set it up. The man responsible for that was Carlos Valderrama, one of the greatest passers in football history, and even he would have been proud of the Juan Golobio masterstroke that created Costa Rica’s equaliser against his country: the midfielder’s 40-yard, low pass put a goal on a plate for John Ruiz.
Portugal kicked off their quarter-final playing in Cali for the fourth time; Guatemala were newcomers to the venue. Naturally, therefore, there was a sea of red jerseys present in the stands; white ones decorated by a blue slash were alien.
The two-time FIFA U-20 World Cup winners took an early lead and expectedly overwhelmed the minnows during the first half, but as the match progressed, a Portugal-pro crowd transformed into a Guatemala-encrazed one. “Si se puede” (Yes you can!) innumerable spectators roared incessantly. Ultimately, they couldn’t, but after a 1-0 loss brought the Central Americans’ fairytale run to an end, their coach Ever Almeida, high on emotion, admitted the “extraordinary support” had forced him to hold back tears.
Portugal face Argentina in the quarterfinals, while Mexico meet Colombia. The four remaining Round-of-16 games – Nigeria-England, Spain-Korea Republic, Brazil-Saudi Arabia and France-Ecuador – will unfold on Wednesday.
