FIFA World Cup 2014, Round of 16: Colombia vs Uruguay - 5 Talking Points

There was no repeat of the 1950 World Cup final. There was no repeat of the last time Uruguay met Colombia in the World Cup. There was instead the James Rodriguez show. A sublime left-footed volley, and an easy tap in ensured that Rodriguez now sits on top of the goalscoring charts, and Colombia are through to face Brazil in Fortaleza in what will be the first World Cup Quarterfinal in their history.

#1 Uruguay missed Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez might be a bizarre character, but his presence on the pitch is sometimes enough to scare the living daylights out of defenders. Diego Forlan replaced Suarez for this game, but let’s face it, Forlan is 35 and well past his prime.

Suarez, with his trickery and lethal finishing would have added a competitive edge to the Uruguayan attack, which looked toothless at most times. Edinson Cavani was too often left isolated up front, and he was easily dealt with by Mario Yepes and Cristian Zapata.

#2 A new superstar in the making

James Rodriguez. Remember the name, because you are going to hear a lot of it in the not so distant future. Rodriguez struck two goals and that was enough to leave him on top in the race for the Golden Boot.

HIs second goal was a typical striker’s goal – being in the right place at the right time.

But it was his first goal that will be remembered for a long, long time. It was a thing of art. Not many players would have the audacity to try something of that sort in a World Cup knockout game, let alone execute it successfully. Everything about the goal was exquisite. Right from the time he took it down on his chest inch perfectly, to unleashing a ferocious strike with his left boot, that left Fernando Muslera with absolutely no chance.

At this rate, the World Cup Golden Ball might be calling.

#3 Juan Cuadrado puts in another marvellous performance

4 assists in 4 games at this World Cup. Top of the assists chart. But, apart from setting up those goals, the contribution that Juan Cuadrado makes to the Colombian side is huge.

His pace and trickery is often the outlet that the Colombians use when they’re put under pressure, and he responds more often than not.

In this game, Cuadrado gave Alvaro Pereira a torrid time in the first half down Colombia’s right flank. As the first half wore on, Cuadrado became more elusive, as he began to roam all over the field, making it extremely difficult to mark him.

His assist for Rodriguez’s second goal should not be forgotten. It was a difficult ball to get on to, and he showed great prsence of mind in cushioning a header back into the path of Rodriguez.

#4 Brazil are not going to have it easy

Fortaleza will be geared up. The Brazilian team will be geared up, but this Colombian team are no mere pushovers.

Especially with Brazil’s defensive frailties, Colombia have the ability to punish Brazil. The likes of Rodriguez and Cuadradocould have a field day against a Brazilian defense, whose confidence levels seem to be dropping with every game they play.

Another huge positive for Colombia has been the performance of their fullbacks. Both Pablo Armero and Juan Camillo Zuniga have been fantastic in marauding up and down their respective flanks. Now, given that Brazil’s wingers don’t track back especially well, it could well be in Jose Pekerman’s plans to give his fullbacks the license to venture forward from time to time.

#5 Uruguay\'s Time is Up

Uruguay have been having a fantastic run in International Football over the past 4 years. A 4^th place finish in the last World Cup in South Africa was followed up by the Copa America triumph in Argentina in 2011.

But with players like Diego Lugano and Diego Forlan ageing, Uruguay have not been able to find proper replacements for those two wonderful servants of Uruguayan football.

Yes, they will still have the services of Suarez and Cavani for the foreseeable future, but in general, the future doesn’t look too bright for Uruguayan football.

Uruguayans will always be gutsy and determined irrespective of whether they have the required quality, but sometimes, you need that quality to get you through.

Youngsters like Nicolas Lodeiro and Gaston Ramirez have not developed as well as Oscar Tabarez would have liked. That is a cause for concern as Uruguay’s midfield mainstays in Egidio Arevalo and Cristian Rodriguez are ageing.

Uruguay need to look for some inspiration from somewhere if their future is to be secure.