The Colombia-Portugal match ended 0-0 in Miami, sending Colombia through as Group K winners. Davinson Sanchez had a stoppage-time header ruled out for offside. Both sides had already qualified for the round of 32.
The Colombia-Portugal match ended 0-0 in Miami, sending Colombia through as Group K winners. Davinson Sanchez had a stoppage-time header ruled out for offside. Both sides had already qualified for the round of 32.
Colombia carved out the better chances throughout the match. Jhon Cordoba headed over within seconds of kick-off, then forced a strong save from Diogo Costa in the 17th minute. Ruben Neves cleared a Jhon Arias effort off the line soon after.
Portugal's best opening came in the 39th minute, Camilo Vargas denying Bruno Fernandes from close range. Cristiano Ronaldo was a peripheral figure, booed on every touch. His only effort on target was a long-range free kick that went straight to Vargas.
The decisive moment arrived a minute into stoppage time, when Davinson Sanchez headed in at the back post only for VAR to confirm an offside, his toe ahead of the last defender. Rafael Leao poked wide for Portugal in the closing seconds.
Nestor Lorenzo had no doubt about the balance of play. "We were the better team and deserved to win," the Colombian coach said. "I think we created so many chances. We just lacked finishing."
He warned his side cannot keep wasting opportunities deeper in the tournament. "These are teams with elite players, and if you miss so many chances, you'll suffer a bit more than today," Lorenzo said. On the disallowed goal, he added wryly: "Next time I'll ask him to get a pedicure."
Roberto Martinez, whose Portugal needed a win to top the group, played down the outcome. "Win, losing or having a draw today didn't make a difference," he said after the match. "Our goal really is to play eight matches." He conceded the contest had got away from his plan: "We gave Colombia the match they wanted. This was a very open match, probably more so than we would have liked."
Colombia had 24 of the 37 attempts on goal, dictating play despite a game-time temperature topping 32 degrees. Costa, named man of the match, made six saves, more than Portugal's first two matches combined.
James Rodriguez, making a record 11th World Cup appearance for Columbia, set up several of the chances. "We played a great game against a tough opponent," the 34-year-old said. "We played well, we just lacked the goal."
Colombia, who did not qualify in 2022, go to Kansas City to face Ghana on July 4. They will meet former coach Carlos Queiroz. Portugal travel to Toronto for a tie with Croatia, who beat Ghana 2-1 earlier on Saturday.
"Our focus is on Croatia," Costa said. "We'll be paying even closer attention to them now in this World Cup." The crowd of almost 65 thousand included FIFA President Gianni Infantino, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and former Colombia midfielder Carlos Valderrama.
