Colombia has duly repaid the faith of those experts whose World Cup predictions had them winning Group C even without their star striker Falcao.
The Colombians sealed qualification to the next round with another impressive win over the Ivory Coast. Los Cafeteros can now secure top position if they avoid defeat against Japan, who are desperate for a win after two disappointing performances.
This game has the makings of a very entertaining matchup, as discussed in our Group C preview, with all the possible talent on show. For more on the group, check out our Ivory Coast vs. Greece preview, and read on to see which attack-minded team ultimately prevails.
[sc:Soccer ]Colombia vs. Japan, World Cup 2014, Group Stage Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá, Brazil
When: June 24, 4:00 PM ET
Line: Colombia +111 at Japan +207, tie +221; total 2.0 – view all World Cup odds
What’s at stake
For Colombia, a draw or win cements their place as Group C winners. They can still top the group if they lose and the Ivory Coast loses against Greece.
Meanwhile, Japan do not have control of their own destiny. They must beat Colombia and hope the Ivory Coast loses to Greece in order to qualify.
Betting on Colombia
While Chile is looking like the breakout team in this World Cup, Colombia’s James Rodriguez is arguably its breakout star. The absence of star striker Falcao prompted manager Jose Pekerman to place Rodriguez in a more central role, a position where the Colombian playmaker has thrived in this tournament.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]After being involved in all three goals against Greece, Rodriguez once again had a tremendous influence against the Ivory Coast. He fired his team in front with a header, his second goal of the tournament, and pulled the strings for Colombia’s dangerous crop of attackers.
Colombia is so stacked with attacking talent that even the promising Juan Quintero can’t get in the starting lineup. When the 20-year old did come on for his first taste of World Cup action, he duly scored the clinching goal in their 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast.
With qualification sealed and victory not essential, Quintero may yet get some well-earned playing time as Pekerman could opt to rest some of his stars against Japan. However, don’t expect any let up from the Colombians.
Based on their personnel, attack seems to be their best form of defense. And with the talented Quintero, Adrian Ramos and Jackson Martinez all eager to impress if given the opportunity, there will be no step down in quality or motivation from Colombia.
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Betting on Japan
How the Japanese wish they could borrow just one of Colombia’s army of strikers. Japan’s Achilles heel continues to be the lack of a dependable goalscoring center forward, and that fatal flaw was there for the entire world to see in their costly 0-0 draw with Greece. Despite the Greeks being reduced to ten men for more than half the game, the Japanese still couldn’t find a way through to goal.
The ineffective Shinji Kagawa was taken out of the starting lineup against the Greece in favor of more width. If Kagawa stays rooted to the bench, Keisuke Honda will be relied upon even more to provide that incisive cutting edge. He proved capable of such moments of magic with his goal against the Ivory Coast, and the Colombian defense won’t be nearly as tough to crack as Greece’s.
With the Japanese desperately in need of a win to keep their faint hopes of qualifying alive, expect them to throw everything they have at the Colombians. However, all their attacking will be in vain if they can’t be more clinical in front of goal. Furthermore, a more gung-ho approach may leave them open to Colombia’s swift counterattacks.
Writer’s Prediction
Japan go all out in search of that win, but they leave their defense exposed to Colombia and get caught out at least once. Expect this game to end in a draw. At +221. a successful $20 bet on a draw would pay $44.20.
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