Ghana did not register a single shot in 90 minutes of World Cup football on Friday evening.
Colombia won 1-0. The most significant number from this Round of 32 tie is not the scoreline. It is that one.
Jhon Arias scored in the 14th minute and the match never really changed after that. Colombia managed possession, pressed from the front, and gave Ghana nothing to work with. The Colombian side finished with 61% of the ball, 18 shots, and seven on target. Their expected goals figure was 2.06. Ghana’s was 0.26, attached to a figure of zero shots across the full 90 minutes.
Controlled from start to finish
It is one thing to restrict an opponent. It is something else to restrict them to no shots whatsoever. Colombia’s pressing structure denied Ghana the platform to build even the outline of an attack in the first hour. By the time Ghana began to carve out positions in the final quarter, the game was long since settled in Colombian minds.
Arias’s 14th-minute goal was the only moment of decisive quality the match required. Colombia are Copa América holders and built to manage games exactly like this.
Colombia’s next test
Los Cafeteros face Switzerland in the Round of 16 in Vancouver. Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0 in their Round of 32 tie with goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye — the Swiss side’s first World Cup knockout win in 88 years.
Two structured, disciplined sides who concede little. The tactical contest will not have the Argentina-Cape Verde drama of Friday night, but Colombia and Switzerland arriving at the last 16 with clean defensive records makes it a match worth close attention.
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