Background
World Cup history
Chile 1962
Italy 1990
United States 1994
To qualify for the world cup in United States, Colombia needed to finish in top of group A which also included Argentina, Paraguay and Peru. In my opinion and in many other Colombian fans's opinion, the national team of Colombia 1993 was the best Colombian squad of all times. Colombia drew at home 0:0 vs. Paraguay, won Peru 1:0 in Lima and stunned Argentina, World Cup runner-up those days, 2:1 in Barranquilla. that was Argentina's first lost after 33 games!!
Colombia kept playing well, earned a valuable point in Asuncion, 1:1, and winning Peru at home 4:0 before the crucial last match for the qualification vs. Argentina in buenos Aires. September 5th 1993, is the date that will be written in every memory of Colombian and Argentine fans. I saw this game live on TV, I was 13 year-old fan of Colombia back then, and I saw the best game of my life. Argentina had to win in order to qualify while Colombia could settle with a draw. Perfect football, it's the only way to describe what 80,000 Argentine fans and Millions back home saw that day. Colombia trounced Argentina 5:0 and qualify for their second world cup in a raw and the third in their history. Faustino Asprilla with 2 goals, Freddy Rincon with 2 goals and one more of Adolfo Valencia when Carlos Valderrama is in charge on this concert. After the game, when the Argentine fans booing their players, they also gave standing ovation for 11 men in yellow shirts and appriciated what they saw on the field.
Colombia came for this world cup as one of the favourites to win the cup and had been drawn to group A which included host country, United States, Romania and Switzerland. Colombia should have go through easily to the next round but everything fell apart for the Colombians. In the first match, the Romanians showed their
Colombia lost 2:1 to United States and this game will remain like a nightmare for all Colombian fans around the world and not because of the elimination. One of the best Defenders in South America, Andres Escobar, scored an own goal during the first half. This own goal cost him in his life. Colombia won the last match 2:0 over Switzerland, but was eliminated from the tournament against all the odds.
(the link to Escobar's own goal).
10 days after the national team returned home, while sitting in a bar called "El Indio" in Medellin with his girlfriend, 3 people came close to Andres and started to tease him about his own goal. Andres responded to them, but since they were violent people they took Escobar outside to the parking lot and murdered the 27-year-old defender when they shot him 12 times and after every shot they scram GGOOLL!!, mimicing South American broadcasters. It seems that they gambled and lost lot of money because of Colombia's elimination and decided that Escobar is the one to blame. The murder shocked the whole nation. 120,000 people came to the funeral of Andres and the murderer caught very fast. Humberto Munoz Castro was sentenced to 43 years in prison. In 2001, his punishment was reduced to 23 years
France 1998
The qualifying system in South America had been changed for the World Cup 1998 and basically it remains until today. 9 national teams (Brazil qualified automaticlly after became world champs in 1994) play home & away matches when the first 4 places qualify direct to the tournament. Colombia opened this campaign wonderfull with 5 wins, 2 draws and a lost to Argentina at home after the first round and rewarded for being the 4th best naitonal team in the world according to FIFA's world ranking on January 1997. The second round wasn't good and even threated on Colombia's chances to qualify after the lost 3 of their first 4 matches, including 1:0 lost at home to Peru. But then came 3 home games in a raw, Colombia won all of them, drew 1:1 Argentina in Buenos Aires and finished 3rd to qualify for their 3rd World Cup in a raw, the 4th in their history and the last one until today.
World Cup qualifying-Japan & South Korea 2002
After the retirment of several key players in the national team, Colombia started new era, new generation of talented players like Ivan Cordoba, Mario Yepes, Juan Pablo Angel, Freddy Grisales and Jairo Castillo. This time 10 national teams were participate when Brazil joined for this qualification. The first 4 teams will qualify directly while the 5th team will play for the last place in the world cup vs. Oceanic group winner. Colombia played well in the first round again, securing their place between first 4 teams. But horrible second round, including lost in Brazil at the 93rd minute, lost at home to Peru and a draw away against Venezuela, The Colombians needed a miracle in the last match, away vs. Paraguay and it almost happened. Colombia surprisely won 4:0 and should have wait for an Argentine victory in Uruguay, but Uruguay forced a 1:1 draw, finished 5th with one goal more then Colombia and qialified for the playoff matches vs. Australia. After 3 tournaments in a raw, Colombia failed to qualify and need to wait another 4 years.
Victor Aristizabal and Brazil's captain, Cafu. Faustino Asprilla in Bogota vs. Chile, Colombia won 3:1.
World Cup qualifying-Germany 2006
Colombia, with successful coach Francisco Maturana, couldn't open much worst the 2006 qualification games. 3 defeats in 4 matches, including 4:0 in Bolivia and 1:0 at home to Venezuela and the hope to qualify for Germany looked impossible. Francisco Maturana was fired by the Colombian Football Federation and the U-20 national team coach, Reinaldo Rueda, took over the job. The veteran goalkeeper, Oscar Cordoba, also decided to retire mostly because of his poor performances at the beginning of the games. With Rueda in charge, Colombia managed to achieve better results, including 5:0 at home vs. Uruguay, 0:0 away vs. Brazil, 5:0 at home vs. Peru and 3:0 also at home vs. Ecuador. Colombia and Uruguay, for the second straight time, played a crucial last match, Colombian away against Paraguay and Uruguay hosted Argentina. Colombia needed a win and an Argentine victory or even a draw would be enough, even better then the last qualifiers. Colombia won Paraguay again, this time 1:0 from a beautiful header by Luis Gabriel Rey, but Uruguay also won Argentina 1:0 and qualified for the second time in a raw to the playoff vs. Australia.
World Cup qualifying-South Africa 2010.
The system remains the same, with the same matches calender. Colombia, with a new coach, Jorge Luis Pinto and with a new generation of young players like Hugo Rodallega, Radamel Falcao Garcia, Camilo Zuniga, Aquivaldo Mosquera, Macnelly Torres and Freddy Guarin. Colombia looks good after 6 matches and they are the only national team in the South American qualifiers that still didn't lost a match. two wins, including prestigious 2:1 victory at home over Argentina and 4 draws. The Colombians are at the third place so far with 10 points.
International Titles
Copa America, Colombia 2001
The only International title, Colombia achieved at home. Colombia had been chosen in 1999 to host the 2001 Copa America for the very first time. Colombia was suppose to host the 1986 world cup but eventually retired and Mexico took over their place. Now the Colombians were determend to show that they can host wonderful tournament and they did. couple months before the tournament started, there were security problems which almost caused to move the tournament to another country. Mexico and Brazil were preper to replace Colombia. After that, there was a suggestion to postpone the tournament in one year, but eventually the CONMEBOL federation decided to start the tournament in his original date and place, July 11-July 29 in Colombia.
Argentina decided to quit from the tournament because they didn't feel secure enough and another invited, Canada, followed Argentina and quit also. instead of them, Costa Rica and Honduras were invited to fill in. Colombia played in group A with Ecuador, Chile and Venezuela and was one of the favourites to win the tournament. Colombia played very well and achieved 9 points out of 9 in the first round. 2:0 agains Venezuela and Chile and 1:0 against Ecuador. In the quarter final, the Colombians met Peru but didn't have much trouble to win them 3:0 and to meet in the semi final surprise Honduras, who eliminated Brazil in the quarter final. Colombia, with goals of Gerardo Bedoya and Victor Aristizabal, won 2:0 and qualify for their first final since 1975. (that year they lost in the final to Peru.)
Colombian National Team 2001In the final, against Mexico, the Colombians didn't let the chance to win first international title at their home infront of almost 50,000 fans who supported the national team through the whole tournament. Colombia was the better side and on 65 minute, Ivan Lopez crossed free kick ball into Ivan Cordoba's head and the captain header the ball into the far post of Oscar Perez, Mexico keeper. When the referee blew the last whistle, all the Colombian fans and players celebrate historic moment for this national team and more imoportant, they showed that their country is not all about violance and drugs. it's also a country of good people, peace people and even FIFA's president said that the organization of the tournament was exellent.
International Tournaments
World Cup participations:
- 1930-Didn't enter
- 1933-Didn't enter
- 1938-Withdrew
- 1950-Didn't enter
- 1954-Didn't enter
- 1958-Didn't qualify
- 1962-First round
- 1966-Didn't qualify
- 1970-Didn't qualify
- 1974-Didn't qualify
- 1978-Didn't qualify
- 1982-Didn't qualify
- 1986-Didn't qualify
- 1990-Second round
- 1994-First round
- 1998-First round
- 2002-Didn't qualify
- 2006-Didn't qualify
Copa America participations:
* 1945-Fifth place
* 1946-Withdrew
* 1947-Eighth place
* 1949-Eighth place
* 1953-1956-Withdrew
* 1957-Fifth place
* 1959-Withdrew
* 1963-Seventh place
* 1967-Didn't qualify
* 1975-Runner-up
* 1979-First round
* 1983-First round
* 1987-Third place
* 1989-First round
* 1991-Fourth place
* 1993-Third place
* 1995-Third place
* 1997-Quarter final
* 1999-Quarter final
* 2001-Champion
* 2004-Fourth place
* 2007-First round
CONCACAF Gold Cup participations:
The second invitation was in 2003, When Colombia won Jamaica again in groups stage 1:0 and drew 1:1 with Guatemala, before they were eliminated in the quarter final after losing 2:0 to Brazil.
The last participation of Colombia so far was in 2005, where they lost in groups stage to Panama 1:0 and to Honduras 2:1 before winning Trinidad & Tobago 2:0. In the quarter final they won Mexico 2:1 but lost to Panama again in the semi final 3:2.
Jairo Patino pass a Guatamalian player in the Gold Cup 2003. FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 participation:
The Tragedy of the tournament, when Cameroon's midfielder,
Mark Vivien-Foe collapsed and died later on due to heart failure problem.
Colombia met Cameroon in the semi final but unfortunatlly this game will forever remembered because of the death of Cameroon's midfielder, Mark Vivien-Foe. Cameroon led 1:0 when suddenly, on 75th minute, with no particular reason, collapsed the veteran midfielder on the field. The Colombian players were close to him and immediatly called for the medical staff who took the player to the nearest hospital. The game ended 1:0 to Cameroon but later on had been announced that Foe died on the way to the hospital.
Colombia's last match was against Turkey for 3-4 places and the Colombians lost again, 2:1, when Giovanny Hernandez scored his 3rd goal in the tournament.
(Link to Vivien-Foe collapse)
Tragedies
- In 1989, Colombian club, Independiente Medellin, was about to win the championship and hosted America Cali in the last match. In a 0:0 situation, Medellin scored a goal which had been cancelled by the linesman, Alvaro Ortega[6]. After the game, two of Medellin's fans shot the referee and murdered him. In response, the Colombian league was stopped and no champion club was declaired that year.
- On Febuary 11th 2004, almost 10 years after Escobar's murder, former Colombian striker, Albeiro Usuriaga[3], was murdered at his home in Cali while he was playing cards with someof his friends. Some armed men breaking into the house and shot towards Albeiro and killed 37-year-old ex footballer. Usuriaga was remembered as the man who brought Colombia to Italy 1990 after his winning goal vs. Israel during World Cup qualifying playoff.
- On December 24 2004, few robbers tried to still the handbag of Adriana Montoya, Luis Fernando Montoya[5] wife, back then Once Caldas's coach. During the struggle with the robbers, Luis Fernando has been shot and was injured critically. It was a miracle that the doctors managed to save Montoya's life but he will stay cripple forever and can't breath on his own.
- On January 8th 2006, National team forward, Elson Becerra[4], was murdered with his friend, Alexander Rios at a nightclub in Cartagena. The reason was probably because of a fight that happened between the two and the murderers few days earlier. Becerra was part of the national team that won the Copa America title in 2001 and played in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.
- On April 2006, Deportivo Cali's former player, Martin Zapata[2], had been shot 4 times and died eventually in Cali after an argument with 5 people in a local bar. Zapata was famous especially after missing the crucial penalty vs. Palmeiras in the 1999 Copa Libertadores final game.
- Another two players died on the field and it happened on October 24th, 2002. During Deportivo Cali's training which was under a rainstorm, lightinings suddenly stroked on the field and on few players. From the strike, veteran midfielder, Herman Gaviria[7] immediatly died and all the chances to save him failed. 3 days later, young talented striker, Giovanny Cordoba[8], died also after being un conscious for 3 days.
Colombia's Youth National Teams.
Colombia Under 23
Colombia Under 20
Colombian Football web sites:
- http://www.colfutbol.org (Official website of the FCF)
- http://www.dimayor.com.co (Official website of the Colombian football league)
- http://www.golgolgol.net (Colombian football news website)
- http://www.futbolred.com (Colombian football news website)
- http://www.colombia.com/futbol (Colombian football news website)
References
- http://sportsillustr
ated.cnn.com/soccer/ world/2002/world_cup /hof/escobar/ - http://www.soccerway
.com/news/2006/April /23/former-colombian -international-zapat a-killed - http://www.findagrav
e.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi ?page=gr&GRid=162619 27 - http://news.bbc.co.u
k/sport1/hi/football /internationals/4597 700.stm - http://www.usatoday.
com/sports/soccer/wo rld/2004-12-23-colom bia-coach_x.htm - http://www.elespecta
dor.com/impreso/depo rtes/articuloimpreso -un-muerto-mas-un-ca mpeon-menos - http://www.colombia.
com/futbol/noticias/ DetalleNoticia13912. asp - http://www.elcolombi
ano.com/proyectos/co pamustang/10-27-2002 /Giovanny.htm



















Carlos Mario Castro Navarro
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