Colombian Futbol on the Rise

As we now have entered the knockout stage, I thought it was fitting to highlight one of my favorite teams; Colombia. This has been an incredible cup so far, full of upsets, great goals, and intense matches. There's been the usual teams and players that I've enjoyed, however also new ones that have inspired me. I intend to give a full recap when it's over but for now I wanted to capture a quick profile on the Colombian national team.

The cup always brings out my American patriotic side, more than any other sporting event, simply because I want the game of soccer to grow in the states. However it also brings out my Latin side, and I naturally find myself cheering for the South American teams, especially Colombia since I am half-Colombian. 

Colombia is playing excellent right now, despite not having their superstar striker Radamel Falcao. They won each of their group stage matches and just yesterday they won a stunning knockout victory against Uruguay. They now will move on to the quarter-finals for the first time ever in it's history. They'll face the host country Brasil which will not be an easy match but victory is very possible. This is an exciting time for the country of Colombia.

Golden Team of the 90s

Colombia was never a soccer power in the early years of international play. They could never compete with their successful neighbors Brasil, Argentina, and Uruguay. However in the 90s this changed and the Colombian national team entered a golden era of success on the field. A lot of which was influenced by drug money from Pablo Escobar's cartels. 

Nonetheless the team was an international force to be reckoned with. They were lead by their superstar midfielder Carlos Valderrama (and his signature blond afro) as well other notable players such as defender Andres Escobar, goalkeeper Rene Higuita, midfielder Leonel Alvarez, and strikers Freddy Rincon and Faustino Asprilla. 

They qualified for three consecutive cups in 1990, 1994, and 1998. At the 1994 World Cup in United States they were one of the favorites to win the tournament however had a terrible performance. One of the most memorable moments came when Andres Escobar scored an own goal against USA, that caused them to lose the match. (He was later killed for this in his home country). They managed to qualify again for the 1998 cup in France, however once again had a poor performance and did not make it out of the group stage. Ever since the death of Escobar and the retirement of Valderrama the country's team took a sharp decline. They did not qualify for three consecutive cups in 2002, 2006, and 2010. 

Back on the Rise

After the 2010 cup in South Africa however, the Colombian national team began to enter a new era of success. This time it was on the shoulders of their new superstar, Radamel Falcao. By 2012 Jose Pekerman became manager and established a new successful identity with the team. Besides their superstar Falcao, Colombia has a great supporting cast of talent such as James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, Freddy Guarin, and Adrian Ramos. 

At this cup I was devastated at the news that they would be without their superstar Falcao who injured his knee. However I still intended to give them my full support along with team USA, and thus far they have not disappointed. They won each match in their group stage against Japan, Greece, and Ivory Coast. Yesterday I was thrilled at their victory against Uruguay and celebrated hard with my friends. Next week it will be against the hosts Brasil, which won't be an easy task however Brasil has already proved to be beatable. I can only hope for the best for the Colombian national team.