Fifa World Cup: 70,000-strong wall of noise powers Colombia past Uzbekistan

Into the 37th minute and with their team toiling in the face of a wall of white Uzbekistan shirts, the roughly 70,000 Colombian fans inside the Azteca Stadium rose in unison, leapt up and down and burst into deep-throated song.
How, we wondered, would they react if their team scored a goal? We soon had our answer, and it was a strike from Daniel Munoz that deserved the euphoric, guttural explosion of noise that followed.
Defender Rustam Ashurmatov brilliantly thwarted James Rodriguez close to goal, but Colombia came again. Collecting the ball deep from Johan Mohica, Luis Diaz flighted a pass over the top, and with Ashumatov switched off, Munoz stretched out and toed the ball with sufficient force to power it into the roof of Utkir Usupov’s net.
But if they suspected they had cracked the Uzbek resistance, Colombia were wrong. Abbosbek Fayzullaev header levelled things after an hour, only for Diaz to exploit some uncharacteristically slack Uzbekistan football to decisively strike five minutes later. Jaminton Campaz sealed a 3-1 win for Colombia in the ninth minute of added time.
Uzbekistan’s defeat means that the four World Cup debutants in North America have claimed one point between them from the opening round of matches, albeit that came from Cabo Verde’s wonderful stalemate with Spain.

Between them, the Uzbeks, Jordan, Curacao and Cabo Verde have scored three goals and conceded 13. It is a hard school.
The victory for Colombia allowed them to take control of Group K following the earlier 1-1 draw between Portugal and DR Congo. In the earlier Group L game in Toronto, a goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time from midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi earned Ghana a 1-0 win over Panama.
Not that Uzbekistan had any reason for recrimination. Harshly branded the “chokers of Asia” following a succession of qualification near misses, they defended assiduously and refused to shrink in the heat of a partisan atmosphere created by the South American supporters in a crowd of 80,824; exactly the same total that was recorded for the opening match in the same arena between Mexico and South Africa.
On the eve of the game, Nestor Lorenzo, the Colombia head coach, had described his team’s identity as “playing with happiness”.
It also belongs in the unmistakable yellow jersey that appeared to be required dress code for their legion of fans. It was a shame, then, that the team played in nondescript green shirts against opponents kitted out in all white.
Their slick football was more recognisable, although they found the going tough against the five-man Uzbek backline that Lorenzo had predicted his team would encounter.
The Asian side troubled their more fancied opponents early in the contest, too. Colombia left-back Mohica went into the book for upending a speeding Fayzullaev, before the winger overhit a cross when Eldor Shomurodov had found space at the back post.

Limited to around 30 per cent possession, and rarely able to cross halfway, Uzbekistan could not afford such carelessness.
On the rare occasions the Uzbeks did have the ball, ear-splitting Colombian whistles pierced the thin Mexico City air.
A tiny gang of Uzbekistan supporters, numbering in double figures, staged an impromptu party, all bouncing on the spot, to celebrate their team reaching the opening hydration break level.
Diaz thought he had broken through after latching onto a crafty Arias pass that unzipped the Uzbekistan backline, but the Bayern Munich forward’s cross-shot bounced back off the inside of the post.
Abukodir Khusanov, the Manchester City centre-back, was then cautioned for tripping Diaz by the left touchline. The challenge did not merit the tumbling, rolling theatrics from Diaz that had his fans baying for a red card.
They got what they really wanted when Munoz struck, but a spooky silence descended after an hour.
Dostonbek Khamdamov, one of two players introduced for the second half as Fabio Cannavaro, the Uzbekistan head coach, sought to pep up his attack, chased down a ball destined for touch, hooking the delivery to the far post.
The volley from Shomurodov was scuffed but inexplicably complicated for Camilo Vargas, the Colombia keeper, who contrived to direct the ball onto the bar via his shins. It dropped for Fayzullaev to become the first Uzbek to score at a World Cup.
The Colombian supporters were soon back in full voice, beseeching their team to summon a response. It came when Gustavo Puerta caught Shomurodov dawdling in midfield. Puerta charged forward to feed Diaz, who took aim before Khusanov could make ground to block. Slow to get down, Yusupov’s doomed attempt to save was weak.
The ticker tape that flew through the air was yellow, blue, and red. Not green.
The same could be said for Uzbekistan, who terrified Colombia when Akmal Mozgovoy drifted a late effort millimetres off target.
Shrill whistle rolled around the stadium as Colombia supporters begged for the full-time whistle, only for Cucho Hernandez to supply a pinpoint cross for fellow substitute Campaz to put the outcome beyond doubt.
Still, Uzbekistan would not go away and Behruzjon Karimov smacked the bar from 30 yards. Portugal will not relish the prospect of meeting them next week.