History in the World Cup:
Colombia is a member of the South American CONMEBOL confederation and is ranked 5th in the FIFA World Rankings. The upcoming 2014 World Cup will be the fifth time that Colombia made an appearance in the international competition. Last time los Cafeteros qualified for a World Cup was 16 years ago during France ’98 and moreover, the Colombians have never made it past the round of 16.
How they made it to Brazil 2014:
During the qualification for the 2014 World Cup, Colombia had a very impressive run. Without Brazil, automatically participating as the host, el Tricolor qualified coming in second, after Argentina. During the qualifying rounds, Colombia won nine games, including a 4-0 victory over Uruguay, drew three times and lost 4 games.
Colombia have what it takes to access the round of 16
Player to watch:
When anyone talks about Colombia, there is only one name that comes to mind: Radamel Falcao. The Colombian striker is simply fantastic, strong in the air, quick off his feet and with an extraordinary ambidextrous ability to finish. The 28-year old exploded with Atletico Madrid where he had a phenomenal season, scoring a hat-trick against Chelsea during the Super Cup final in 2012. However, soon after his transfer to AS Monaco, Falcao suffered an injury that is still preventing the player from playing. Should the Colombian be fit, he will be the player to watch.
If Falcao is fit, he could be the protagonist of the 2014 World Cup
About Colombia’s coach:
José Néstor Pékerman Krimen, born in Villa Dominguez, Argentina, is currently the manager of the Colombian national team. He became quickly famous after leading the Argentinian youth team to win the FIFA World Youth Championship three times, and the U20 South American Youth Championship twice. Later, Pékerman managed Argentina’s national team in 2006 and was appointed Colombia’s coach in 2012. The Argentine is a very promising manager who has been in great form, winning the South American Coach of the Year award in 2012 and 2013.
Guarin will be essential for Colombia's midfield, providing both coverage and attacking power
Colombia’s Roster:
In addition to Falcao, Pékerman nominated many other very talented players, in Colombia’s provisional 30-man squad. Players of the Caliber of Cuadrado, who had an extremely successful season with Fiorentina, or Fredy Guarin, Inter’s gem, will represent los Cafeteros this Summer. Moreover, powerhouse Ibarbo, who plays on Cagliari, and incredibly fast Muriel, from Udinese, will also feature on el Tricolor.
