Colombia and Qatar face each other for the first time after remarkable marks in the first match of Group B of Copa America 2019. While the South American team beat the Argentina giants 2-0, the guest from Asia played resiliently to get a 2-2 draw against Paraguay.
Coach Carlos Queiroz decided to award the two players who scored against Argentina, Duvan Zapata and Roger Martinez, with a starting position to replace Radamel Falcao and Luis Muriel.
On the opposite side, coach Felix Sanchez kept the same starting lineup and tactical diagram 4-4-1-1 when he understood that having 1 point against Paraguay did not mean that their class was enough to play an open game.
Entering the match with a mindset of a top goal, Cafeteros dominated the game when implementing diverse attacks, from the center forward to the 2 wings and crosses. Colombia quickly made Qatar's net shake in the 5th minute. Roger Martinez headed the ball back from close range after a corner kick. However, it was a great victory for Qatar when referee Alexis Herrera did not recognize the goal because he thought Martinez was offside.
James Rodriguez was quite quiet at first, but he was the one who had the best chance in the first half. In the 13th minute, Martinez crossed the ball well into the space, beyond the opponent's control for James to head in. However, the ball went wide of the post.
Under pressure from opponents, in many situations, Qatari players are forced to play long balls as a way to relieve pressure, but it must also be seen that they are quite patient and maintain alertness when defending. The first half ended in a 0-0 draw.
In the second half, the referee pointed to the 11m mark in front of the Qatari goal once because he thought Abdelkarim Hassan had blocked the ball by hand. Once again, VAR technology is used. Finally, the black king continued to say no to the 11m and also gave the player a yellow card.
As if they were given more confidence and excitement after not conceding a goal, Qatar began to make truly dangerous threats to the Colombian goal. Towards the end of the match, Qatar had a few situations to attack and shoot but it was not enough to overcome Ospina.
However, with the advantage in hand, Colombia is still superior in the number of scoring opportunities. Finally, Colombia's efforts were rewarded. In the 86th minute, James's acrobatic cheek shift reached the Zapata position. This player made a dangerous header that broke Al Sheeb's arm, opening the score.
The remaining short period of time was not enough for Qatar to make a difference and had to accept a 0-1 defeat.
With 6 full points, Colombia has had its first ticket to the quarter-finals. Although Qatar lost the match, they are completely worthy of praise for their confidence and dignified playing style. In the upcoming match, Qatar's chance of getting a ticket to the next round will be even smaller when the final match will have to face Argentina.
