Key events<\/p>\n
Halftime: Colombia 1-0 Ghana<\/p>\n
This game needed an early goal, and it got it. Ghana have felt compelled to attack a bit, and they\u2019re showing that such efforts might not be futile.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +6 Oh my goodness. It\u2019s Suarez again, simply launched himself into Sibo. If Turpin doesn\u2019t give a card here, I\u2019m flying to Kansas City and offering to replace him. Hey, I have seven years of experience now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +5 Handbags. We have handbags. Suarez gives Opoku the business right in front of the spot where some Ghanaian subs are warming up. The foul is called, but Suarez has to extricate himself from the situation.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +4 Lucum\u00ed, the Bologna defender, does well to shepherd the ball out of play and deny Ayew. Colombia<\/a> reclaim the ball.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min +1 BRILLIANT SAVE by Ati-Zigi in the Ghanaian goal. Mu\u00f1oz floated a ball across the box, and his fellow fullback Mojica rose to knock it goalward with the side of his head. Well-struck shot, very well saved.<\/p>\n We have a Ghanaian injury on the play, so we\u2019ll have additional stoppage time. Turpin, unlike a referee from a few games ago, takes the dropped ball properly instead of just nonchalantly dumping it at the feet of a player who\u2019s surrounded by opponents.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Hey, I\u2019m right. Six minutes of stoppage time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min I\u2019ll guess six minutes of stoppage time because I think it should be five. We had a goal and two injury subs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 44 min Semenyo shoots from distance. Passing it back to Mensah on the left may have been a better option.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43 min Ghana\u2019s defenders pass the ball around while the forwards stand like pillars farther up the field.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 42 min Lerma puts the ball in the air at the top of the box, and Suarez heads it straight at the goal line \u2026 unfortunately, several yards wide of the actual goal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 41 min Colombia have it back, and they\u2019re willing to be patient after having to play defense for a bit. Everybody pad your passing stats!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s the email I mentioned:<\/p>\n K\u00e1ri Tulinius: \u201cI don\u2019t expect fun from a team managed by Carlos Queiroz, but I do expect them to keep their shape deny their opponents space. Ghana have looked ragged and open from the off. If Colombia<\/a> press their advantage, the match could be put to bed soon. They probably should, because the Black Stars can\u2019t be this bad all game.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed \u2013 this email came in five minutes ago, and Ghana have had the better of things in that stretch aside from the one Colombia counterattack.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38 min Ghana still possessing, more than they have not just tonight but in many of their games.<\/p>\n But Colombia<\/a> take it back, and Diaz makes surging run down the left. He centers, the ball is chipped back in his direction, but his half-volley is off target.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36 min Ghana are enjoying a spell of supremacy now. Semenyo shoots, and it\u2019s deflected high into the soupy sky for a corner kick.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 min Keeper holds it \u2026 holds it \u2026 holds it \u2026<\/p>\n Colombia just not interested in pressing. I have an email that suggests they might want to reconsider.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34 min Experienced referee Clement Turpin has a few words with people before this kick can be taken. He then positions himself right next to a clump of players like someone trying to win a staring contest.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33 min Promising from Ghana now, with a couple of good switches from side to side. Williams forces Mojica to concede a corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32 min Ghana have the ball now, and Colombia<\/a> seem content to take a break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31 min That said, Colombia<\/a> only have six touches in the opponent\u2019s box. Ghana have 0.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 min I think people may be sleeping on this Colombian side. Maybe they fell asleep during the 0-0 draw with Portugal. But they\u2019re a menace moving forward.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 29 min Ghana pass around in their own half, and Suarez isn\u2019t far away from nicking the ball from keeper Ati-Zigi in his own 6-yard box.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 27 min We have resumed.<\/p>\n Why don\u2019t they just stop the clock for the hydration breaks and then restart? If a game is interrupted for three hours by lightning, we don\u2019t say someone scored in the 232nd minute.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 24 min It\u2019s a foul \u2013 no, wait, the referee was signaling for the hydration break when the throw-in was taken quickly. Drink!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 23 min Ghana have the ball for a chance, but a through pass is brilliantly intercepted.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 21 min As you were. Colombia<\/a> possessing, though the pace is less frenetic \u2013 never mind, they go quickly to the overlapping Mojica on the left.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Farhan (called \u201cF\u201d in previous post): \u201cI don\u2019t expect the Colombia-Ghana game to be a classic \u2014 no thanks to Carlos Queiroz. I suspect a lot of people will remember the Kelce-Swift wedding for having taken place around the time the Argentina-Cabo Verde (especially the latter) game was played out and not the other way around.\u201d<\/p>\n Who gets married during the World Cup<\/a>? I\u2019m at least 50% Swiftie, but really?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s hoping there was decent wifi at the Travis Kelce\/Taylor Swift nuptials so guests could have streamed Argentina v Cape Verde. Photograph: Charlie Riedel\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.12 CEST<\/p>\n 18 min Ghana\u2019s best course of action at this point might be to hope Colombia<\/a> players all cramp in the second half.<\/p>\n Carles Puyol, whose appearance I likened to Weird Al Yankovic in an earlier game, is on hand here as well.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 17 min So Colombia<\/a> have succeeded where England failed, getting through this stout Ghana defense. And they\u2019re still attacking.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Goal! Colombia 1-0 Ghana (J. Arias 14)<\/p>\n Our dreary succession of fouls is interrupted by an emphatic finish after excellent work by the substitute Su\u00e1rez on the right. His cross sails just over a teammate who is marked and lands at the feed of Arias, who is not. He simply knocks the ball back the other way, wrong-footing the keeper.<\/p>\n Jhon Arias scores a fine opener for Colombia. Photograph: Claudia Greco\/Reuters Photograph: Bernadett Szab\u00f3\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.50 CEST<\/p>\n 13 min SUB for Ghana as a distraught Senaya cannot continue. Seidu makes his first appearance of the World Cup<\/a> in relief.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12 min Jhon Arias runs through I\u00f1aki Williams about 20 minutes after the ball was gone. THAT is a foul. Yellow card, in fact.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.43 CEST<\/p>\n 11 min Colombia win a corner and take it quickly and short. If they were expecting to surprise Ghana, they did not.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And Senaya goes off limping. That\u2019s two players injured while committing fouls that weren\u2019t called.<\/p>\n Marvin Senaya has pulled his hamstring following a rash tackle on Luis Diaz. Photograph: Kylie Graham\/IMAGN IMAGES\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.45 CEST<\/p>\n 9 min Should that be a penalty as Senaya clotheslines Diaz? In most of the world, yes. But fouls just don\u2019t seem to be fouls any more.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 min SUB for Colombia as C\u00f3rdoba can\u2019t continue. He\u2019s replaced by Luis \u201cNot That One\u201d Suarez, who scores goals for fun in Portugal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Is this the shirt-pullingest tournament ever? I can\u2019t remember seeing so many torn shirts.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 6 min C\u00f3rdoba is in some distress. After some uncomfortable moments standing, he lies down on the field. It appears he injured himself while ripping Opoku\u2019s shirt.<\/p>\n Jhon C\u00f3rdoba injures himself ripping Jerome Opoku\u2019s shirt. That\u2019s a new one. Photograph: Reed Hoffmann\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.39 CEST<\/p>\n 5 min Ghana seem content to yield possession here. We\u2019ll see if Colombia<\/a> fare better than England did in breaking it down.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Vlado writes: \u201cThat Cape Verde performance… at one point I literally thought, \u2018This can\u2019t be real. I\u2019m dreaming.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Imagine a 16th seed taking it to the wire against a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, except 1,000 times more important.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3 min Colombia\u2019s first attacking idea is to ping the ball down the left for Luis D\u00edaz. There are worse ideas.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1 min Chance for Ghana! Colombia<\/a> aren\u2019t able to clear, and Partey rips a shot from 25 just wide.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Peep! Here we go.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Quick personal note: It was at this stadium that I met a fellow journalist who happened to have family ties to Kansas City. He was a fierce intellect who wasn\u2019t afraid to take a stand. Grant Wahl<\/a> is missed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Home advantage \u2026<\/p>\n I was hoping to find an overhead shot to show just how yellow the stands are. Both teams wear yellow, but Colombia<\/a> have the vast majority of the crowd here, and the anthem was sung like a crowd at a Taylor Swift concert singing along with \u2026 OK, I don\u2019t know which song would be a singalong at a Taylor Swift concert. I like Anti-Hero, but I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s a singalong. And I sing Shake It Off after a bad day of reffing.<\/p>\n Congrats to Taylor and Travis, by the way.<\/p>\n Fans gather prior to the match between Colombia and Ghana in Kansas City, Missouri. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n First email of the session, from someone just named \u201cF\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy recast at all? Have Vozinha play himself! The man\u2019s a rockstar. I wonder who will play Vozinha\u2019s mother, though.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, that\u2019s a tough one!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n How Colombia<\/a> got here \u2026<\/p>\n In Mexico City, they managed the break down Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n DR Congo put up stubborn resistance, as they did against other teams, but Colombia took their second win.<\/p>\n Then they played a game against Portugal.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n How Ghana got here \u2026<\/p>\n First, they scored at the death while playing without Thomas Partey, who was denied a visa into Canada.<\/p>\n Then they managed to stay awake in a plodding game against England.<\/p>\n And I don\u2019t know what to make of their game against Croatia at this point.<\/p>\n That was enough to advance as a third-place team.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Reader questions<\/p>\n As you consider what nuggets of wisdom to throw at me over the next couple of hours, please answer this: When the movie on the Argentina-Cape Verde match is made, whom do you cast?<\/p>\n I\u2019m thinking Idris Elba as Vozinha.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Quick facts<\/p>\n Weather: An extreme heat warning in the Kansas City area has just been lifted, but it\u2019s still 32 degrees Celsius, 89 degrees in American degrees. Also 61% humidity, and if you don\u2019t think that makes a difference, spend back-to-back days in Las Vegas and Miami.<\/p>\n Referee: Clement Turpin (France). The VAR lead is fellow Frenchman Jerome Brisard.<\/p>\n Head-to-head: First meeting between these teams.<\/p>\n Best game ever played at the World Cup: Just ended. Wow.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Argentina have taken the lead for the third time against Cape Verde are straining to close it out, which in terms of sentences I ever expected to write would probably be the same probability as \u201cBeau Dure is drafted by the Boston Celtics.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Lineups<\/p>\n Colombia: Vargas; Mojica, Lucum\u00ed, S\u00e1nchez, Mu\u00f1oz; J. Arias, Lerma, Puerta; D\u00edaz, C\u00f3rdoba, Rodr\u00edguez<\/p>\n Subs: Ospina, Montero, Machado, S. Arias, Mina, Ditta, R\u00edos, Casta\u00f1o, G\u00f3mez, Portilla, Su\u00e1rez, Quintero, Campaz, Cucho, Carrascal<\/p>\n Fullbacks Mojica and Mu\u00f1oz started the first two games and will be back in those spots. Su\u00e1rez started the first two games, but C\u00f3rdoba took that spot in the Portugal game.<\/p>\n Ghana: Ati-Zigi; Mensah, Opoku, Luckassen, Senaya; Partey, Sibo, Yirenkyi; Williams, Ayew, Semenyo<\/p>\n Subs: Asare, Anang, Adjetey, Oppong, Mumin, Seidu, Baba, Owusu, Nuamah, Bonsu-Baah, Sulemana<\/p>\n Ati-Zigi came off at halftime of the 1-0 win over Panama, and Asare played in goal the rest of the group stage. Opoku was an injury concern after missing the third game, but he\u2019s back starting alongside his replacement in that game (and Ghana\u2019s goal-scorer in the 2-1 loss) Luckassen. Adjetey, who had started all the group games, makes way. Yirenkyi reclaims a starting spot after missing the final group game, replacing Owusu. Ayew and Semenyo have started every game, but Williams gets the nod after playing only 65 minutes in the tournament so far.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n The last time the World Cup<\/a> was held in the United States, Colombia were among the favorites. Carlos \u201cEl Pibe\u201d Valderrama. Adolfo Valencia. Faustino Asprilla.<\/p>\n And they fell flat. They lost to an unfancied Romanian side. Then their hopes vanished in one of the best games the USA have ever played.<\/p>\n Things were better in 2014 as Colombia<\/a> blasted their way through the group stage, nudged aside Uruguay in the round of 16, then fell to Brazil in the quarterfinals. James Rodr\u00edguez led the way with six goals and is still on the team. The win over Uruguay is Colombia\u2019s lone win in World Cup knockout rounds.<\/p>\n Ghana also have one win in the knockout rounds, and we\u2019ll pause for a moment as US supporters groan at the memory from that 2010 game. (Several US players from that game are doing commentary of some sort this time around.)<\/p>\n So this match brings together two countries that have been on the periphery of the elite but haven\u2019t quite knocked down the door. One of them will take a big step in that direction in a matter of hours.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Hello all, and welcome to \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026 that\u2019s OK, we\u2019ll wait. The entire planet is watching this game right now:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n