Match 5: Colombia crushed Greece by 3-0

SETTING THE BALL ROLLING: Pablo Armero's early strike pushed Greece onto the backfoot right from the word go

Making a grand return to the World Cup after 16 long years, an attacking Colombia recorded its best ever win in the finals as it outclassed Greece 3-0 in a Group C match at Estadio Mineirao, here on Saturday.

A fifth-minute goal by defender Pablo Armero set the ball rolling for Colombia and then Teofilo Gutierrez scored his first World Cup finals goal in the 58th minute to leave Greece with a daunting task to save the game.

Adding insult to injury, young talent James Rodriguez netted in stoppage time for a superb finish to the contest, which Colombia dominated for most part.

The South Americans were missing star striker Radamel Falcao and centre-back Luis Perea from their ranks due to injuries but that did not stop them from playing their brand of game.

Fast game

The Colombians played at a good pace and unsettled Greece with an early goal through Armero. It was a risky ploy to push the full-backs up, but it paid off.

Juan Cuadrado set it up for Colombia as he showed great skills in dribbling past a Greek defender and feeding a low ball in front of the post for Armero, who slammed it in to spark celebration.

It was only the second international goal for the 27-year-old Armero.

Conceding an early goal was a worry for Greece, a side which had only 12 goals from 10 games during qualification.

Greece struggled to find an answer to Colombia’s tactics but gradually made it a contest with several raids. It had the opportunity to get the equaliser in the 28th minute when Dimitrios Salpingidis tackled his marker to send a cross into the area, but Panagiotis Kone’s shot went over the bar.

Three minutes later, Georgios Samaras darted towards the area from the left, got himself into a good position to aim at the post, but his strike was collected safely by Colombia’s goalkeeper David Ospina. Colombia kept the lead intact, going into the break. The second half, after a sedate start, produced scintillating stuff from both sides, but the day belonged to Colombia as it doubled the lead in the 58th minute through centre-half Gutierrez but Greece failed to grab the chances.

James Rodriguez sent the ball into the box, Abel Aguilar flicked it and Gutierrez slotted home the deflection from close range.

Missed chance

Greece did not help its cause by missing the easiest of opportunities to reduce the margin when Vasilis Torosidis volleyed a ball into the area but Theofanis Gekas’s header bounced off the underside of the crossbar.

The game slowed a bit with Greece almost having given up.

In a fantastic finish for Colombia, Juan Cuadrado ran forward into the box after a free-kick. Rodriguez found the ball and slammed a left-footer in to complete the grand win.