Colombia delivered a statement performance on Wednesday, defeating Uzbekistan 1-3 at the Mexico City Stadium to claim solo leadership of Group K in the 2026 World Cup. Goals from Daniel Muñoz, Luis Díaz, and Jaminton Campaz shattered the resistance of a resilient Uzbek side that had briefly threatened an upset through Abbosbek Fayzullaev.As expected, Uzbekistan deployed a low block, surrendering possession to a Colombian side that quickly established dominance. The first warning shot came in the 17th minute when Jhon Arias unleashed a fierce long-range strike. Following the hydration break, Néstor Lorenzo’s men shifted gears; Luis Díaz rattled the right post in the 31st minute, and just ten minutes later, ‘Lucho’ turned provider, delivering a brilliant assist for Daniel Muñoz to fire home from close range for the 0-1 opener.The script remained unchanged in the second half, but just as Colombia seemed comfortably in control, complacency cost them. In the 60th minute, a shot from Eldor Shomurodov forced a clumsy rebound from goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, allowing Fayzullaev to ghost into the box and nod home the 1-1 equalizer.Yet, Colombia’s pedigree shone through immediately. Barely five minutes later, Gustavo Puerta combined exquisitely with Luis Díaz, who restored the lead with a clinical right-footed finish that caught goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov flat-footed. In the dying seconds of stoppage time (90+9′), Juan Camilo “Cucho” Hernández engineered a textbook counter-attack, setting up Jaminton Campaz to seal the final 1-3 scoreline.Croatia fans turn Dallas into a sea of red and white before World Cup debutWith this result, Colombia sits atop the group with three points, capitalizing on the earlier 1-1 stalemate between Portugal and Congo. The Tricolor will look to cement their spot in the next round on June 23 against Congo in Guadalajara, while Uzbekistan faces a must-win clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Houston.
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2026-06-18 05:27:38
