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The Los Cafaretos have a squad filled with youth and experience at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Being a tricky side to play against, they will be eager to prove that their 5th placed finish in the 2014 edition was no one-time wonder.
Their past performances in World Cups, except for the 2014 edition, have not been great. They are not considered to be world beaters but have already proved their mettle against some of the top sides. They lost against hosts Brazil 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup where James Rodriguez took the world's biggest stage by storm, scoring 6 goals in 5 games, winning the Golden Boot.
This time around, they will be favorites to top Group H that features the likes of Poland, Senegal and Japan.
Colombia will look to better their quarter-final run in the 2014 World Cup which is the best ever in the nation's history. On their day, they have the ability to beat the best nations on the world's biggest stage but if they are to do so, these 5 key players will be pivotal for them:
#5 David Ospina
Position: Goalkeeper
The 29-year-old shot-stopper, David Ospina was a constant figure in goal for Colombia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup where he conceded just 4 goals, the fewest in the tournament. His fantastic exploits at the World Cup earned him a move to EPL side Arsenal.
His playing career at Arsenal hasn't reached the heights he would have hoped for, playing second-fiddle most of the time to veteran Petr Cech. In the 2017-18 season too, Petr Cech was the preferred option to play in the league with Ospina playing in just the cup competitions. He did, however, have a number of good displays in the Europa League for Arsenal as they reached the semi-finals.
As Arsenal look more and more likely to sign a goalkeeper this summer, Ospina will be eager to prove to his critics that he can still play at the highest level. An assuring performance at the World Cup will be vital for the Colombian if he is to seal a move to one of the top sides in the world as he reaches the twilight of his career. With complete confidence from coach Pekerman, a starting spot won't be hard to come by for the Colombian at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
#4 Davinson Sanchez
Position: Defender
The 22-year-old Spurs defender, Davinson Sanchez, brings much-needed power, resilience and solidity to Colombia's back-line which conceded the third-lowest number of goals in FIFA World Cup qualification. The powerful defender sealed a 36 million euro move from Ajax to Spurs in the 2017 summer transfer window and quickly settled in alongside veteran Jan Vertonghen, helping the London side to 11 clean sheets in 23 appearances.
Colombia's weak link at the 2014 World Cup was their defence which seems to have been addressed this time with Sanchez and fellow youngster Yerry Mina providing solidity at the back. The pressure will be on them to perform on the world's biggest stage but confident displays for their side would be the best way to announce themselves among the elite defenders in world football.
#3 Juan Cuadrado
Position: Right Midfielder
The 30-year-old Juventus right winger, Juan Cuadrado will be one of the first names on Colombia's team sheet due to his raw pace and versatility. Being a gifted athlete, his dribbling abilities will prove to be a nightmare for any defence at the World Cup.
At the 2014 World Cup, he provided 4 assists in the tournament which eventually earned him a move to Chelsea for 23 million euros. The attacker couldn't cement a starting spot for the London side, making repeated appearances off the bench and was eventually sold to Juventus in a 17.3 million euro move. He seems to have reignited his footballing career with 4 goals and 6 assists in 21 appearances for the Italian giants in the 2017-18 season.
He has the ability to deliver the perfect cross and will look to find Radamel Falcao with any given opportunity as they lead the counter-attack. With 69 appearances to his name in which he has scored 7 times for Colombia, Cuadrado will be one of the key players to watch out for in the 2018 World Cup.
#2 Radamel Falcao
Position: Striker
The 32-year-old striker, Radamel Falcao, will be raring to shine at the World Cup 2018 after reigniting his career with fantastic performances in the past 2 seasons with AS Monaco. Having missed out on the 2014 edition with an unfortunate knee injury, the veteran is now closer than ever to realizing his dream of scoring at the World Cup.
Radamel Falcao was among the best forwards in the world as he helped Colombia to World Cup qualification with 9 goals. A catastrophic injury before World Cup 2014 meant the striker, in the best form of his life, had to miss out on the world's biggest tournament. After disappointing moves to Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United, the number 9 was a forgotten figure among elite footballers. But now, the veteran seems to have rediscovered his form and is back among the top forwards to watch out for at the World Cup.
With 39 goals and 10 assists in the last 2 seasons for AS Monaco, Falcao's experience and attacking talent will be vital for the Colombians if they are to reach the final rounds of the tournament. The captain, nicknamed "El Tigre" will look to lead his team all guns blazing and prove to his critics that he is still among the best footballers in the world.
#1 James Rodriguez
Position: Attacking midfielder
One of the biggest sensations of Brazil 2014, James Rodriguez took the footballing world by storm after winning the Golden Boot with 6 goals. His fantastic performances at the World Cup earned him a move to Real Madrid for a reported 90 million euros.
The 26-year-old didn't taste success with the Galacticos after below-par performances and repeated appearances off the bench and wasn't an important player in Zidane's plans. After much frustration, the midfielder moved to German giants Bayern Munich on a 2-year loan deal and seems to have regained his form with 7 goals and 11 assists for The Bavarians. Despite missing out on 5 qualification games for Colombia, he stood out as his team's top scorer (6 goals) and top assist provider (5 assists). His link-up play with lethal striker Radamel Falcao will be vital to how far Colombia can advance in the tournament.
In a group featuring the likes of Japan, Poland and Senegal, Colombia are the clear favorites to top the group. Their real competition begins in the knockout rounds where they could face some of the best teams in the world. Colombia are definitely a much better overall side when compared to the 2014 edition. Their stars will have to perform in every game, however, and help the team when required to score the crucial goals.
Where do you think Colombia will finish in FIFA World Cup 2018? Let us know in the comments section.
