Colombia wasted numerous chances and had to settle for a goalless draw with Portugal on Saturday in the final World Cup group stage match, but the South Americans still advanced to the knock-out stage as Group K winners.
The Colombians will face Ghana on Friday in the round of 32, while Portugal, who advanced as runners-up, will face Croatia the day before.
In the other match, the Democratic Republic of Congo made history as they booked a spot in the knock-outs after coming from behind to claim a dramatic 3-1 win against Uzbekistan.
This is the nation’s first World Cup participation as DR Congo. In their only previous participation as Zaire in 1974, they lost all three matches and didn’t make it past the group stage.
DR Congo now have a big challenge against England on Wednesday, while debutants Uzbekistan are going home.
The lack of goals between Colombia and Portugal wasn’t due to scarcity of chances, especially from the Colombian side.
But Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa had a stunning performance to keep a clean sheet and help his team to grab a point.
Jhon Cordoba had Colombia’s first effort on goal in the second minute, but shot just over the bar. In the 17th, he avoided a challenge from Bruno Fernandes and fired a shot but Costa made a strong save.
Portugal put some pressure in the end of the first half. Fernandes tried from close range, but Camilo Vargas denied him with a brilliant save in the 39th.
The play went on until Ruben Neves tried from distance and narrowly missed the target.
Before the break, Portugal’s João Felix sent a volley just over the bar, while James Rodriguez forced Costa into another save with his effort from distance.
In the 55th, Jefferson Lerma and Jhon Arias tried their luck from distance but both were stopped by Costa.
Luis Diaz sent the ball wide, wasting a good chance in the 62nd and Costa again denied Arias.
Luis Suarez volleyed over the bar when well placed in the 88th, just moments after Ruben Dias made some extraordinary defending to clear on the goal line.
Colombia finally had the ball into the net in stoppage time, but Davinson Sanchez header was ruled out for offside.
Colombia defender Daniel Muñoz, who scored in the previous two group stage matches, started on the bench and came on only in the 87th.
“I think Colombia played a great game from start to finish. I think we deserved to win, we created so many chances, we lacked finishing. I want to congratulate the boys for the effort they put in because they were outstanding today,” Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez stressed that “we have to respect Colombia because they are a team with a lot of quality,” but “Portugal also wanted to win.”
“I think the team reacted well throughout the whole game. Now we need to improve and take our game to where we want, which is to have more ball possession and use the individual talent we have,” he said.
Eldor Shomurodov looped the ball over Lionel Mpasi to give Uzbekistan the lead in the 10th minute.
DR Congo thought they had levelled in the 17th, but Nathanaël Mbuku’s effort was ruled out after video review due to a foul in the play.
They equalized, however, in the 68th. Abdukodir Khusanov downed Yoane Wissa and the referee awarded DR Congo a penalty. Wissa himself took the spot-kick to make it 1-1.
DR Congo needed one more goal to book a spot in the knock-out stage and they delivered it.
Meschack Elia cleared the defenders and fired a shot, but his effort took a deflection. Substitute Fiston Mayele, however, was on the scene to flick the ball into the net in the 78th before the goalkeeper got to it.
Wissa completed his brace in stoppage-time to seal the nation’s first-ever qualification to the knock-outs.
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