Colombia — Ghana

I-Arrowhead Stadium ibibambe umoya wonke umdlalo – kodwa umbuzo bekungekhona ukuthi ubani ozoshaya igoli, kodwa ukuthi kungani i-Colombia ishaye igoli elilodwa kuphela. Nansi into exakayo ngalobu busuku e-Kansas City. I-Colombia iqale umdlalo ngamandla: 67% yokubamba ibhola esiwombeni sokuqala, 91% yokunikeza ipasi ngendlela efanele, izikhathi ezingu-20 zokushaya igoli, i-xG engu-2.19 – lokhu akukhona nje ukubusa, kodwa ukuklinya. Izikhathi ezinhlanu ezinkulu – kanti ezine zazo zaphuthelwa. Ukube bekungekho lokhu kuchitha, isikolo besingaba esikhulu. Umuntu obangela inkinga enkulu nomuntu oyinhloko ngesikhathi esisodwa – u-Jhon Arias. Ngomzuzu we-12 – ikhadi eliphuzi, ngomzuzu we-14 – igoli. Ukuthinta kabili phakathi kwemizuzu emibili, okwanquma isiphetho sonke somdlalo. Ukushaya ibhola ngendlela efanele ngasemaphethelweni – uphawu lwakhe oluyinhloko, futhi namuhla lusebenze ngesikhathi esifanele. Kodwa i-Colombia bekungafanele izivumele ukuba ibe nesiphetho esinjalo esinengqondo: izikhathi ezine ezinkulu eziphuthelwe – lokhu kuyisifo esihlelekile, hhayi nje ingozi. I-Ghana – lena indaba ehlukile yesibindi. Akukho ukushaya igoli elilodwa eliqondile emdlalweni wonke, i-xG engu-0.26 – ngokwezinombolo ukungabi namandla okuphelele ekuhlaseleni. Kodwa tshela lokho ku-Lawrence Ati Zigi, owaba nobusuku obuhle kakhulu empilweni yakhe: isilinganiso esingu-9.64, ukulondolozwa okuyisikhombisa, udonga i-Colombia ingakwazanga ukuluphula kabili. I-Ghana ayizange idale – yasinda, futhi yakwenza lokho ngesithunzi esihlelekile. Esigabeni sesibili ukubamba ibhola kwalingana ku-54:46 – iqembu lathola ukwesekwa futhi layeka nje ukuzivikela. Ukushintshwa kuka-Iñaki Williams nokuphuma kuka-Abdul Fatawu Issahaku kwengeze ubukhali emaphethelweni, kodwa ngaphandle kokuqedela kwangempela konke lokhu kwahlala kuyisongelo esingenamandla. Isikolo esingu-1:0 – sihle ekugcineni, kodwa sihlambalaza ngokuqukethwe. I-xG engu-2.19 uma kuqhathaniswa no-0.26 – lokhu kwehlukana phakathi kwezilinganiso namagoli angempela akwenzeki kaningi. I-Colombia yawina, kodwa ayizange iwubulale umdlalo lapho yayikwazi. I-Ghana yahlulwa, kodwa ayizange iphulwe. U-Gustavo Puerta (isilinganiso esingu-8.76) waba yisisekelo somugqa ophakathi, u-Davinson Sánchez wavala konke okundiza endaweni yokuphonsa. I-Colombia iyakwazi ukwakha – manje kufanele ifunde ukuqedela. Ku-FootLegion amagoli ezwe lakho akekho ozowathatha – gcina lo mdlalo unomphela. Manje kini, balandeli: ngabe u-Zigi wayengakwazi yini ukudonsa umdlalo yedwa, noma i-Colombia yayifanele ukushaya amagoli amaningi? Futhi umbuzo wesibili – u-James Rodríguez wahamba ngesikhathi sekhefu: ingabe lokhu kuyisu noma uphawu lokuthi inganekwane iqeda imizuzu yokugcina emqhudelwaneni womhlaba?