Hosts secure semi-finals berth
A wonderstrike from David Luiz helped Brazil to a 2-1 World Cup quarter-final win over Colombia - but star forward Neymar was stretchered off in the closing minutes, Goal.com reports.
Tipped by some to exit against a side who have been the talk of the tournament, Luiz Felipe Scolari's men progressed thanks to goals from Thiago Silva and his defensive partner in Fortaleza, the latter a superb 30-yard free kick.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Man-of-the-moment James Rodriguez pulled one back from the spot for Colombia in the 80th minute, yet Brazil held on to book a semi-final meeting with Germany.
However, Brazil will head into the last four with a series of worries, most notably the suspension of Silva and an injury to star man Neymar.
Silva picked up a needless yellow card in the second period, while Neymar was carried off on a stretcher late on to put a dark cloud over Brazil's win.
The duo's potential absences, combined with another workmanlike showing, will do little to dispel claims from the likes of Diego Maradona that Brazil are not good enough to win the tournament.
Much had been made of Brazil's perceived mental frailties ahead of the match, with players coming under fire for crying during renditions of the national anthem and Scolari's decision to call in a sports psychologist grabbing headlines.
Despite such scrutiny, the hosts made a flying start to surge ahead after seven minutes.
Silva was the hero, silencing his critics by sneaking behind Carlos Sanchez and kneeing home at the back post from close range after Colombia fatally failed to clear Neymar's corner.
Behind for the first time in the competition, Colombia found an immediate response as Juan Cuadrado's effort was deflected just wide.
Yet it was still Brazil looking the more purposeful, Hulk twice forcing good stops from David Ospina.
Colombia wasted a James-led four-on-two counterattack in between those saves, with the game's end-to-end nature making for a thrilling spectacle.
The second period did not assume the same pace, Jose Pekerman's side failing to find the fluency that has been their calling card.
Indeed, the biggest moment of those exchanges came when Silva collided with Ospina as the Colombia shot-stopper attempted to kick from his hands, the subsequent yellow card ruling him out of the next phase.
With chances few and far between, it took a moment of brilliance from Luiz to leave Brazil on the brink of the last four after 69 minutes.
James, so often Colombia's star, crucially brought down Hulk 30 yards from goal, paving the way for Luiz to send a stunning strike beyond Ospina.
But just when it seemed a nation could calm down, there was a twist in the tail when Julio Cesar felled Carlos Bacca in the area.
The goalkeeper was fortunate not to be shown a red, although that had little impact on tournament top-scorer James - who continued his record of scoring in every game when he coolly sent Cesar the wrong way.
As if the tension was not palpable enough, many in attendance were left with heads in hands late on as Neymar was taken from the field after being caught by Zuniga in the dying minutes.
Brazil defended defiantly during injury time to seal their semi-final spot against Germany and continue their quest for a sixth world title.
COMMENTARY: FULL TIME
Brazil 2-1 Colombia: The Selecao set up a semi-final date in Belo Horizonte with Germany thanks to goals from centre-back pairing Thiago Silva and David Luiz. James set up a tense ending as Colombia were awarded a penalty when Julio Cesar brought down Carlos Bacca, but Scolari's men held on until the final whistle.
90' + 6' THERE IS THE FINAL WHISTLE! BRAZIL ARE INTO THE SEMI-FINALS!
90' + 5' Ospina is up, but Ramos is the target and his header goes well over the top of the bar. Scolari celebrates on the touchline. He clearly feels that is enough!
90' + 4' Hernanes hands of Zuniga and concedes a free kick deep on the near side. Colombia will hoof this one into the box.
90' + 3' It's hearts-in-mouths for the Brazilian fans! Colombia have a corner which is whipped in by James. Ramos helps it on towards the back post but there is no one gambling to supply the finishing touch there.
90' + 2' Oscar attempts to dink a lovely ball over the top of the defence for Ramires, who is in space on the right, but it is just a little too strong for his Chelsea team-mate to reach.
90' There is going to be five, yes FIVE, minutes of stoppage time played at the end of this game. There is still hope for Colombia to take this to extra time.
89' Henrique's first involvement sees him fling his body in the way of Bacca's stinging drive from 25 yards! No doubting his commitment in his first appearance of the World Cup.
88' Substitution: Neymar OUT, Henrique IN
88' Indeed, it is Henrique for Neymar. The Barcelona man is carried down the tunnel on a stretcher with a hand on his head. Hopefully it is nothing too serious.
88' Ahead of that, Neymar caught a knee in the back from Zuniga and is now down receiving treatment. The stretcher is on so he may now make way, with Scolari readying Henrique on the touchline.
87' Brazil manage to break away following the corner but Oscar's attempt to switch the play to Ramires is intercepted. He manages to regain the ball but draws a foul from James as he holds onto it.
86' Substitution: Paulinho OUT, Hernanes IN
86' Oscar chases back well and puts in a cracking challenge on Zuniga which sends the ball out for a corner. Before it is taken, Felipao brings Hernanes on in place of Paulinho.
84' It is all Colombia at the moment! Brazil are penned back in their own half and seem unable to relieve the constant pressure on their defence. The tension is palpable inside the stadium.
83' Substitution: Hulk OUT, Ramires IN
83' A defensive move from Scolari here as Hulk is replaced by Ramires.
81' Nail-biting stuff for the hosts as Bacca glances a header from James' cross just wide of the far post. The Sevilla striker did so from an offside position, though.
80' Substitution: Juan Cuadrado OUT, J. Quintero IN
80' Penalty Goal James Rodríguez
GOOOOOOOOAAAL!! JAMES PULLS ONE BACK! The Colombian shows great composure, putting a little stutter in his run-up which sends Julio Cesar one way so he can roll it into the other.
79' The keeper is down holding his knee following the collision, meaning Colombia have to wait a while to take this. Finally, though, he looks ready!
78' Yellow Card: Julio César
78'PENALTY TO COLOMBIA! Julio Cesar brings down Bacca inside the box and the referee points to the spot, also brandishing a yellow card for the keeper! Is there to be some late drama here?
77' That was the perfect challenge from Yepes! Neymar brings down a long ball and only has the centre-back to beat, but he shows all his experience as he slides in and takes nothing but the ball.
75' Cuadrado receives the ball out on the left and cuts inside, onto his favoured right foot. However, he slips as he strikes the ball and can only bounce a tame effort towards the far post which Julio Cesar gathers comfortably.
73' SO CLOSE!! Neymar is given space 20 yards from goal to try and pick out the far corner. He sends a curling, left-footed effort towards goal but it doesn't have enough whip to bring it back inside the post.
71' James lofts a pass over the top of the defence, looking for Ramos, but it bounces too far away from the striker and Julio Cesar is able to beat him to it.
70' Substitution: Teófilo Gutiérrez OUT, C. Bacca IN
71' James lofts a pass over the top of the defence, looking for Ramos, but it bounces too far away from the striker and Hulio Cesar is able to beat him to it.
70' Substitution: Teófilo Gutiérrez OUT, C. Bacca IN
69' Yellow Card: Mario Yepes
69' Goal David Luiz
69' GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAL!! DAVID LUIZ WITH A BEAUTY! The resultant free kick, over 30 yards out and in the centre of the field, is struck sweetly by the centre-back. It sails past the wall and arrows into the top corner despite Ospina getting the slightest of touches on it!
67' Yellow Card James Rodríguez
67' Next into the book is James, for an ever-so-slight clip on Hulk as the Brazilian dribbled past him. He can feel hard done by given all the unpenalised challenges that have gone in on him tonight!
66' GOAL FOR COLOMBIA... but it's been ruled out! James' free kick results in some pinball in the box before Yepes slams it into the bottom corner. However, the assistant referee has his flagged raised to signal for an offside from the original delivery.
64' Yellow Card: Thiago Silva
64' Neymar sends the free kick towards the back post but Ospina claims it. As he goes to kick up field, though, Thiago Silva gets between him and the ball. The centre-back puts the ball in the back of the net but blows his whistle and shows the yellow card. Brazil will now be without their captain in the semi-final, should they progress!
63' Brazil break away from the delivery and Neymar dribbles his way down the left flank. He attempts to skip inside of Cuadrado but is completely blocked off by the Colombian and earns his side a free kick in a dangerous area.
62' Another rash tackle on Cuadrado from Marcelo! The referee awards the free kick but still keeps his yellow cards in his pocket, much to the dismay of the Colombian players.
61' Brazil are looking a bit too casual now and are inviting pressure from the Colombians. A cross is sent into the box but David Luiz manages to hook it away. Fred controls the ball and manages to draw a foul from behind to relieve some of the pressure on his team-mates.
59' Ambitious from Guarin! Armero manages to keep the ball in at the byeline and hook it back to James, 20 yards from goal. He controls with his chest and then squares for Guarin who has space on the edge of the box. The Inter midfielder, though, makes a hash of his attempt to find the target with a first-time volley!
57' Maicon again pushes up from the back, carrying the ball unopposed. He slips a pass into Oscar who tries to find Hulk with his first touch. However, Hulk throws a dummy and with no one behind him to collect the ball it goes out for a throw to Colombia.
55' Neymar looks to send Hulk careering towards the byline, again on the left, but his pass out towards him is too weak and Zapata gets to it first. The centre-back is then caught by the Zenit forward, who hangs a leg in his path after seeing the ball go past him.
53' Marcelo does brilliant to surge to the byline and float a cross into the box. Neymar is arriving at the back post but Ospina comes off his line to claim the ball in between a body of players. The keeper goes to ground and the referee signals for a free kick.
52' Brazil win a free kick around 30 yards from goal and Neymar flights it into the centre of the box. Zapata and David Luiz both go up for it and the referee adjudges the latter to have got the last touch so signals for a goal kick.
50' James finally manages to get on the ball and turn to face goal in the final third. He spots Cuadrado's run around the outside and attempts to slot a pass into his path, but a deflection sends it too close to Julio Cesar.
48' Somehow Fernandinho got through that first half without a yellow card. The midfielder has clearly been told to do his best to keep James out of the game, and he has given the young Colombian a fair few kicks already this evening. Still, he remains without a booking.
47' Adrian Ramos has replaced Victor Ibarbo for the second half and is first action is to dribble the ball out of play for a goal kick on the far side, under pressure from Fernandinho.
46' Substitution: Víctor Ibarbo OUT, A. Ramos IN
46' We are back underway in Fortaleza!
HALF TIME
Brazil 1-0 Colombia: The Selecao got off to the perfect start with Thiago Silva finishing from a Neymar corner after just seven minutes. Colombia improved in the latter stages of the half, but James and Gutierrez have been exceptionally quiet in attack and Julio Cesar has had a largely simple game. Still, while there is only one goal in it the game can change in an instant. Be sure to join me for the second period in 15 minutes!
45' + 1' There is the half-time whistle.
45' There will be just one additional minute of time played!
44' NEYMAR! He attempts to guide the ball into the top corner on Ospina's side, but he fails to get enough dip on his attempt to bring it back on target.
43' Fred does superbly to hold off Yepes and control Julio Cesar's kick on his chest. He then turns and sends the ball over to Neymar on the left, and the Barcelona man draws a foul from Zuniga about 20 yards from goal.
41' STAT: Los Cafeteros’ 11 goals so far this tournament is their best ever haul in a World Cup. They need three more to beat their combined total of fourteen goals from their previous four World Cup appearances.
39' HULK! Again he does brilliantly to get into a shooting area but this time his thunderous strike is miles off target. The next goal will be crucial in determining which way momentum swings in this game.
38' Colombia are beginning to get more joy in the latter stages of this half and are finally starting to threaten the opposition area. A cross from the left is swung in but Julio Cesar comes off his line and calims it comfortably.
37' There is plenty of discussion over it between Guarin, Cuadrado and James. Eventually it is rolled aside for the latter but the movement of the ball allows the Brazilians to close the space and block the effort. A wasted chance for los Cafeteros.
35' Fernandinho concedes a free kick after a high challenge on Ibarbo 20 yards from goal following a lovely move down the left from Colombia. This is their best chance to test Cesar yet, but can they make it count?
33' Maicon is hugging the right flank and extremely keen to push forward. It is eabling Oscar to play in a more central area, rather than being pushed out onto the wing where he is less effective.
31' David Luiz fancies himself as a winger! The centre-back carries the ball down the right flank, bulldozing past Yepes and then attepmting a change of pace to take him past Zapata. His opponent is too strong for him, though, and manages to get between him and the ball and remove the threat.
30' We've played 30 minutes of football now and Julio Cesar is still yet to make a save. However, you have to think the Brazil really need to make some of these chances they are creating count, or they could be short at some point.
28' OSPINA TO THE RESCUE! Once again the Colombia denies Hulk, getting down low and parrying the danger away. However, he cannot continue to send it back into the middle as it just offers Brazil the opportunity to work another opportunity.
27' Hulk nearly embarrasses himself on the left as he loses control of the ball during a flurry of stepovers. He manages to turn it around and lay it off to Marcelo who strikes for goal. His effort is flying well wide so Fred attempts to direct it back on target with his head, but can only send it well over the top.
25' Ibarbo attempts to clips a pass over the top of the defence for Gutierrez to run onto but he puts far too much power behind it. The striker has no chance of getting on the end of it as the ball runs harmlessly out of play.
24' Things get a bit heated after a challenge in the centre-circle but Colombia take a quick free kick. The referee then just waves for play to continue and having immediately regained possession, Brazil look to counter. They are unable to create anything from the right, though.
22' IMPORTANT BLOCK! Colombia break against their opponents and have a man over on the right in Cuadrado, so James feeds him. The wide man looks to send the ball back into the middle but Thiago Silva is there to make a vital interception.
21' It is all Brazil at the moment. They look far more threatening when they push forward and at the other end, James has been kept quiet so far. Cuadrado is working tirelessly on the right for Colombia, but they need to get their leading scorer involved if they want to bring this one back.
20' GREAT SAVE OSPINA! A lovely move across the pitch, from right to left, ends with Neymar putting Hulk through on goal. The Zenit man fires for the far corner but Ospina pushes the ball out of the area, and then gets back to his feet to save the follow-up! Good goalkeeping.
18' Zapata has just gone back to take a goal kick for Ospina. Perhaps the Colombian keeper has a slight injury he does not wish to aggrevate. Brazil may try to get him working as hard as possible, then.
17' A corner from the right is not cleared by Colombia and Hulk manages to pick up the loose ball and drive towards the byline. He squares the ball across the six-yard box but David Luiz is not able to reach it first and los Cafeteros clear the danger away.
15' Neymar and Marcelo team up to try and dispossess Cuadrado as he attempts to launch a breakaway for los Cafeteros, but the left-back gets a bit too physical and concedes an unnecessary free kick.
14' Fernandinho clatters into James inside the centre-circle and the referee awards a free kick to Colombia. He also has a few words for the Brazilian midfielder, but no yellow card is shown.
13' STAT: Brazil have lost just one of their last 16 World Cup games after opening the scoring. Colombia face a daunting task to overturn this game, then! But anything can happen.
11' SO CLOSE! Brazil fail to clear the ball away from the edge of their box and Cuadrado picks it up following Oscar's poor touch. He lashes a decent effort toward the bottom corner but the slightest of deflections off Thiago Silva diverts the ball into the side netting, though half the stadium thought it was in!
10' WELL OVER! Guarin strikes it with plenty of venom but minimal direction, and the ball sails high into the stands behind the goal.
9' It is the perfect start for Brazil, who need to maintain composure and hold onto this advantage for as long as possible. An immediate reply from Colombia could be extremely damaging, and now they have a free kick which Guarin fancies...
7' Goal Thiago Silva
GOOOOOOOOAAL!! THIAGO SILVA ANSWERS HIS CRITICS! Neymar's corner is missed by Fred at the near post but the centre-back ghosts in behind Sanchez to bundle the ball into the back of the net.
6' Fernandinho releases Neymar down the left flank with a great pass and the Barcelona man tries to burn around the outside of Zapata. As he attempts to cut back inside, though, the defender gets in the challenge and Brazil have a corner.
5' Neymar is the man to strike it, but he bends a weak effort wide of Ospina's right-hand post. Even if it had been on target it wouldn't have worried the keeper as it lacked the requisite pace.
4' Sanchez hauls Fred to ground 25 yards out from goal in a central position and the referee awards a free kick to the hosts. Neymar, David Luiz and Hulk stand over it.
3' There are whistles for James as he gets his first touch on the ball. The Brazilian public clearly not appreciating the comparisons with Neymar and want to unsettle the young Colombian.
2' Patient play from Brazil so far, but Neymar drops deep to get involved on the near side. He slides a pass down the flank for Paulinho to run onto and the midfielder looks to have the better of Yepes. However, the centre-back slides excellently in and pokes the ball out for a throw in.
1' We are off in Fortaleza!
Colombia last beat Brazil at the Copa America of 1991 by a 2-0 scoreline, but since then they have lost seven and drawn five fixtures with the Selecao. It remains the only time Los Cafeteros have beaten the Canarinho in a competitive fixture!
Brazil have already played in Fortaleza in this competition: it was the venue of their 0-0 draw with Mexico. Furthermore, the last four meetings between these nations have ended in a draw. All the signs point to us getting more than the regulation 90 minutes this afternoon!
This is the first ever time these two South American nations have met in the World Cup. Brazil have reached the quarter-final stage in each of their last six World Cups, but not since 2002 have they progressed further. Conversely, this is Colombia's first appearance in the World Cup quarter-finals!
The pressure on Brazil is huge, though, and it increases with each game. The support for the Selecao has been fervent so far, but if Colombia can get off to a good start then they may be able to use that against the hosts by getting the notoriously fickle fans on their back. It's certainly going to be a fascinating spectacle this afternoon.
Along with the 'Neymar v James' theme in the build-up to this game, the Brazilian media have been extremely vocal over what is perceived as emotional immaturity in the Selecao squad. Captain Thiago Silva bore the brunt of the criticism as he openly refused to take a penalty in front of his team-mates and then isolated himself from them during the shoot-out. The tears that followed their qualification have been cause for concern, but national TV was sure to show the captain leading a rousing team talk in the tunnel just moments ago.
For Colombia, Jose Pekerman also makes two changes. Jackson Martinez makes way for Victor Ibrabo and Fredy Guarin comes in for Abel Aguilar. FIFA have announced the team in a 4-4-2 formation with James playing alongside Gutierrez in attack, but he may still occupy the space in behind his team-mate for more of a 4-2-3-1 shape.
Brazil (4-2-3-1): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Paulinho, Fernandinho; Hulk, Oscar, Neymar; Fred.
Commentary: Goal dot com
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