Unified Colombia are 90 per cent of the way to proving themselves as World Cup contenders

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Framing matters. In one world, Colombia were lucky to beat DR Congo after a late deflected winner and an excellent save from goalkeeper Camilo Vargas. In another, they were unlucky not to have inflicted a thrashing after 20 shots and three disallowed goals.

Though their 1-0 victory came late, the reality lies towards the second of those statements. Group K now lies in their hands, with Nestor Lorenzo’s side needing only a draw against Portugal to top the group. Goals aside, Colombia are 90 per cent of the way to proving they are contenders.

Tuesday evening was a triumph that Colombia craved; not just for football but domestically too, the country lying on a knife-edge of protest after a contested presidential election result between far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who claims victory, and his left-wing opponent Ivan Cepeda.

For much of the past week, all that Colombia had been able to agree upon was the pre-eminence of Luis Diaz, who remained a whirling dervish throughout the match as his side’s outstanding player. He had two goals disallowed and two more near-certainties blocked at the last.

There is an untold story about Diaz from when he signed his first professional contract at Junior de Barranquilla. That day, the first team had signed two players for hefty fees. Diaz was merely promoted from the reserves. The skinny teenager sidled up to a team official, shyly.

“I know I’m not going to be presented at the stadium like these guys,” he told them. “I’m just a little kid but please, can you at least take a picture of me in the press room with the shirt?”

Overawed no more, Colombia are now undoubtedly the Bayern Munich winger’s team. Only a handful of players at this tournament have his ability to produce talismanic interventions. In Guadalajara, only fate, the offside flag, and the excellence of goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi conspired to stop him scoring.

Against DR Congo, Colombia’s head coach Lorenzo concocted a system to get his star winger into space while maximising the talents of his other options. Yesterday’s man James Rodrgieuz showed there is still some light in the evening by adopting a hybrid role; dropping into the right-back slot while in possession to rake crossfield balls towards Diaz and left-back Johan Mojica.

As a team, Colombia set up with incredible width; wingers and full-backs magnetised to the sideline to open up space in the centre. “From the first moment, we came out to swallow up the pitch,” said match-winner Daniel Munoz, the Crystal Palace wing-back.

The risk if they lost the ball was clear but Rodriguez’s passing range meant DR Congo’s midfield three were simply unable to cover the outlet ball and the spaces between the lines.

“With these teams, you have to find the spaces between the lines because if not, if you play in a very structured way, they pressure you and they hit you on the counter,” Lorenzo said post-match.

There are plenty of other reasons for Colombian optimism. Defensive midfielder Gustavo Puerta has been a revelation in the No 6 role, while the verve of full-backs Munoz and Mojica have given Colombia one of this tournament’s clearest attacking identities.

“They’re the ones that stay in position,” Lorenzo explained as he reflected on his midfielders’ performance. “When the team offer so much and play so high, with the full-backs high up, with Lerma and the two central midfielders (Puerta and Rodriguez), they make a spectacular triangle.”

Munoz scored the only goal of the game in the 76th minute (Luke Hales/Getty Images)

For Colombia, their only issue was finishing. Striker Luis Suarez, who scored 28 goals in 32 league appearances for Sporting CP last season, was particularly harried in front of goal, but as a squad, they outperformed the quality of their chances, turning an expected goals (xG) total of 1.03 into an expected goals on target (xGOT) tally of 1.39.

While Munoz’s deflected winner may have had an element of good fortune, it came from positive attributes too. One of Lorenzo’s substitutes, the popular Juan Quintero, was at its heart. Scored with 15 minutes remaining, the decisive goal came just at the point that many sides lose hope. Colombia had never produced a goalless draw at any of their 23 previous World Cup matches. They said to themselves: “Not today”.

Over the past two weeks, a string of sides more highly-rated than Colombia have not emerged from games like these with wins. Belgium and Uruguay have drawn twice. Portugal were frustrated by the same opposition. England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana demonstrated that dominance does not carry its rewards automatically.

Even entering the tournament, there were signs that Colombia were undervalued. They finished above Brazil in CONMEBOL qualification and got further than their south-eastern neighbours in the last edition of the Copa America, only losing the final after extra time to Argentina.

They have little left to prove — and Sunday’s game against Portugal is the final step. Diaz is the point of the spear but unlike previous sides, Colombia are strong in the collective.

“This belongs to everyone,” said Munoz after a tumultuous week for the nation. “Just because I score the goal, it doesn’t mean I’m the main figure. Here, the main figures are all of us. We got the three points as Colombia, all of those people.”

He points to the sky and spins his finger at the all-yellow crowd.

“This belongs to everyone. This is a family. Here, the main figure is called Colombia.”