Even though Uruguay standout bad boy Luis Suarez is banned from the World Cup, the match between Columbia and Uruguay is sure to have quite a
bite. Uruguay finished runner up in a very tough Group D behind
surprise group winner Costa Rica, while Columbia bested a perceived
easier Group C on 9 points.
Columbia defeated Greece (3-nil) in their opening match. They also bested Ivory Coast (2-1) and handled Japan (4-1) en route to the Round
of Sixteen. James Rodriguez and Jackson Martinez stepped up to fill the
void caused by Columbian hitman Ramadel Falcao’s absence from the World
Cup due to knee surgery. James Rodriguez scored in each of Columbia’s
three Group matches, while Martinez came to life in the final match
against Japan. Rodriguez also has two assists to his name and has been
instrumental in Columbia’s Group Stage successes. Juan Cuadrado has a
goal and three assists and Teofilo Gutierrez sits with a goal and an
assist in two appearances for Columbia.Uruguay dropped their opening group match 3-1 in a shock loss to Group D winner Costa Rica. Edinson Cavanni opened the scoring from the
penalty spot before Costa Rica scored three straight goals. The opening
match was the only one where Uruguay were without Luis Suarez. Suarez
recovered fully from a knee injury in time to score two goals while
defeating England 2-1 and literally take a bite out of Italy defender
Girgio Chiellini’s shoulder in the 1-nil Uruguay win. Diego Forlan will
step in to cover for Suarez’s ban.While the media will be ranting over the Suarez incident, the level of play we expect to see in this game will not let Suarez’s meal
overshadow the match. Both teams (with or without their “star
strikers”) are quite exciting to watch and we do not expect this match
to disappoint. Columbia recycles the ball quite well and Uruguay are
more than capable up top with Cavanni and Forlan. We expect this game to be a high scoring affair (in soccer terms, at least). Columbia’s attack is more dynamic but the key to victory lies
with James Rodriguez. He has scored in each of his last five matches
with Columbia and has been involved in a goal every half on average
during this World Cup. Whether scoring or lending an assist, he is the
man to shut down if Uruguay are to win. We believe that Uruguay will miss Suarez in the line-up and that they will have problems delivering enough of the ball to Forlan and Cavanni.
We like Columbia by a 3-1 margin.Bets we like for Columbia v UruguayColumbia to win in 90 at 2.10 – bet at Coral.co.uk.Over 2.5 goals at 2.35 – bet at
BetBubbles.com?.James Rodriguez to score anytime 3.25 – bet at Bet365.com.
