Columbia will be making their return to the World Cup without their best player, Radamel Falcao. His absence puts a dark cloud over Columbia ending their 16-year World Cup drought. The forward was cut from the squad following a knee injury, leaving Columbia short on attack options for the tournament. Greece will attempt to take advantage of the loss and get up in Group C quickly.
Columbia has suffered several injuries leading up to the World Cup. First is the loss of Radamel Falcao. Then the team was forced to drop Luis Perea for a thigh injury. Aldo Ramirez was cut because of a foot injury he sustained in a training session prior to the tournament as well. Falcao is the biggest hit. The 28-year-old striker was the team's best player with nine goals to his resume during qualifying.
Columbia will be Greece's toughest matchup in group play. The team will attempt to dominate with their Euro defense that was successful years ago. Greece prides themselves on a solid foundation of their team as they enter the tournament in much better health than Columbia. Alexandros Tziolis will attempt to take advantage of Columbia's holes as he takes on defensive duties for their dangerous wing players. Tziolis is successful because of his self-discipline. He has only received two yellow cards in a six month stint in Turkey.
Greece has momentum entering the tournament. They broke a three-game losing streak with a final friendly against Bolivia. Greece is not a high-scoring team, but their strong defensive play makes up for the lack of offense. If they can get up a goal on Columbia, they stand a shot at winning the game and making their way in group play.
This is the first World Cup appearance for Columbia since 1998. The team is hoping to make up for lost time with pride on the line. They played well in qualifying and hope momentum makes up for injuries. They are fully aware that Greece can be capable of pulling off an upset and making a strong tournament run, something they aim to stop.
