James Rodríguez has reason to celebrate, whereas Robert Lewandowski was disappointed on Sunday evening. The direct duel between the two FCB pros ended in a 3-0 victory for James and his Colombian team-mates, who will seal a berth in the last sixteen if they beat Senegal. Lewandowski and Poland have no chance of making it to the knock-out rounds after two defeats in a row.
James made the starting line-up for the first time after recovering from a calf problem. The Colombians demonstrated they were the more mature and effective team in a hotly-contested match. James' delicate cross invited Yerry Mina to put the Colombians in front before the interval. Falcao doubled the lead after 69 minutes before Juan Cuadrado put the game to bed following another strong assist by James. The Bayern pro took his World Cup tally to six goals and four assists. Poland had only few presentable chances, Colombian netminder Ospina proving equal to Lewandowski after 57 and 87 minutes.
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