Colombia in control but failing to convert chances into goals

KANSAS CITY: Colombia’s march into the World Cup round of 16 has been built on control and a steady stream of scoring chances, but their inability to convert opportunities into goals remains a concern ahead of the next knockout stage.

Jhon Arias’s 14th-minute strike in their 1-0 win over Ghana on Friday was enough to send the South American side through to a meeting with Switzerland in Vancouver on Tuesday, but the margin of victory scarcely reflected the balance of play.

Colombia repeatedly threatened and forced Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi into a string of fine saves. Luis Diaz had a goal ruled out for offside in the second half, and shortly after missed a clear opportunity from close range.

“They controlled much better the game … Generally speaking, I think the best team won,” Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz said.

Yet the missed opportunities were a familiar story for Colombia.

After opening their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, they have consistently generated chances without fully capitalising on them.

Ghana’s World Cup exit down to a lack of maturity, says Queiroz

They registered 20 attempts, nine on target, in a 1-0 win over DR Congo. Against Portugal, Colombia produced 24 attempts and six shots on target, but were held to a 0-0 draw.

The trend continued against Ghana, with 20 attempts and eight efforts on target, while limiting their opponents to eight shots - none of them on target.

“After creating several chances and failing to convert them, I liked the way we defended,” Colombia manager Nestor Lorenzo told reporters after the game. “I value the fact that we didn’t allow any clear chances for the opponents.”

Diaz, who netted against Uzbekistan and is the team’s most dangerous attacking player, acknowledged that scoring would have boosted his confidence against Ghana. He also had a goal disallowed for offside against DR Congo.

“I think it would have been perfect if I had scored another goal. That’s what I wanted and what I’m looking for as I continue building confidence with our team,” Diaz said.

The forward was directly involved in more than 40 goals for Bayern Munich last season, and Colombia will need that level of productivity to get past Switzerland.

The same goes for Luis Suarez, who replaced Jhon Cordoba early against Ghana after the striker suffered an injury. Suarez, who started the first two matches before giving way to Cordoba, could be crucial to their hopes of making a deep run.

Colombia can take comfort from their defensive solidity and ability to consistently create chances. But Ghana’s Queiroz noted before the match that World Cup knockout rounds leave no margin for error.

The South Americans would do well to heed the warning from the 73-year-old coach - who managed Colombia from 2019 to 2020.