MUNDIAL·26

Round of 32 · Saturday, July 4 · Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City · 69,045 in the stands

kickoff 20:30 local · 31°C · 59% humidity

Colombia

14′ Jhon ARIAS (pen)

1:0

Ghana

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Colombia4-3-3
Ghana4-1-4-1
Camilo VARGAS7.0Daniel MUNOZ7.3Jhon LUCUMI7.6Gustavo PUERTA7.5Johan MOJICA7.0Davinson SANCHEZ7.7James RODRIGUEZ6.6Jhon ARIAS7.8Jefferson LERMA6.7Luis DIAZ6.4Jhon CORDOBA-1.0Lawrence Ati ZIGI7.3Gideon MENSAH6.8Jerome OPOKU6.5Derrick LUCKASSEN6.5Marvin SENAYA-1.0Caleb YIRENKYI6.1Thomas PARTEY7.0Kwasi SIBO6.0Antoine SEMENYO6.5Jordan AYEW6.4Inaki WILLIAMS6.6
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′COLGHA

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 14′Arias0.46 xG
COL 0:0 GHA0'kickoff
1' Partey — xG 0.02 · Missed14' Arias — xG 0.46 · Goal20' Diaz — xG 0.07 · Saved34' I. Williams — xG 0.02 · Blocked37' Semenyo — xG 0.04 · Blocked39' Diaz — xG 0.21 · Missed40' I. Williams — xG 0.03 · Missed42' Suarez — xG 0.03 · Missed44' Semenyo — xG 0.02 · Blocked44' I. Williams — xG 0.05 · Blocked45 + 1' Mojica — xG 0.21 · Saved48' Rios — xG 0.01 · Missed55' Puerta — xG 0.03 · Saved56' Sanchez — xG 0.02 · Missed58' Diaz — xG 0.28 · Saved69' Semenyo — xG 0.06 · Blocked69' Partey — xG 0.04 · Missed77' Quintero — xG 0.04 · Missed80' Diaz — xG 0.05 · Blocked81' Sanchez — xG 0.23 · Saved84' Quintero — xG 0.03 · Missed87' Diaz — xG 0.02 · Blocked90 + 2' Rios — xG 0.22 · Missed90 + 5' Campaz — xG 0.03 · Missed90 + 5' Suarez — xG 0.03 · Blocked90 + 5' Puerta — xG 0.02 · Blocked90 + 6' Rios — xG 0.02 · Saved90 + 6' Campaz — xG 0.02 · Saved

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

COL 0:0 GHA
1.02.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′14' Arias — GOAL2.030.28

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

COL 4-3-3 attack →, ← GHA 4-1-4-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

12Camilo VARGASCamilo VARGAS2Daniel MUNOZDaniel MUNOZ3Jhon LUCUMIJhon LUCUMI14Gustavo PUERTAGustavo PUERTA17Johan MOJICAJohan MOJICA23Davinson SANCHEZDavinson SANCHEZ10James RODRIGUEZJames RODRIGUEZ11Jhon ARIASJhon ARIAS16Jefferson LERMAJefferson LERMA7Luis DIAZLuis DIAZ9Jhon CORDOBAJhon CORDOBA1Lawrence Ati ZIGILawrence Ati ZIGI14Gideon MENSAHGideon MENSAH18Jerome OPOKUJerome OPOKU23Derrick LUCKASSENDerrick LUCKASSEN26Marvin SENAYAMarvin SENAYA3Caleb YIRENKYICaleb YIRENKYI5Thomas PARTEYThomas PARTEY8Kwasi SIBOKwasi SIBO11Antoine SEMENYOAntoine SEMENYO9Jordan AYEWJordan AYEW19Inaki WILLIAMSInaki WILLIAMS

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

55%
Possession
39%
1.80
Expected goals
0.26
57
Threat
43
20
Shots
8
8
On target
0
540
Passes completed
329
35
Forced turnovers
36
13.9s
Ball recovery time
22.5s
3.23
High-press phases
4.7
10
Fouls committed
14
2
Offsides
0
107 km
Distance covered
106 km
33.9 km/h
Top speed
33.8 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. Colombia attack →, ← Ghana attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 8′Luis SUAREZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Jhon CORDOBA (out) (Colombia)
  2. 12′Jhon ARIAS (Colombia) is booked by the referee.
  3. 13′Alidu SEIDU (in) comes off the bench to replace Marvin SENAYA (out) (Ghana)
  4. 14′Jhon ARIAS (Colombia) scores!!
  5. ′Before the second half begins Richard RIOS (in) comes off the bench to replace James RODRIGUEZ (out) (Colombia)
  6. 49′Caleb YIRENKYI (Ghana) is booked by the referee.
  7. 62′Abdul FATAWU (in) comes off the bench to replace Inaki WILLIAMS (out) (Ghana)
  8. 62′Elisha OWUSU (in) comes off the bench to replace Kwasi SIBO (out) (Ghana)
  9. 66′Abdul FATAWU (Ghana) is booked by the referee.
  10. 72′Juan QUINTERO (in) comes off the bench to replace Jhon ARIAS (out) (Colombia)
  11. 76′Alidu SEIDU (Ghana) is booked by the referee.
  12. 78′Richard RIOS (Colombia) is booked by the referee.
  13. 79′Prince ADU (in) comes off the bench to replace Caleb YIRENKYI (out) (Ghana)
  14. 79′Ernest NUAMAH (in) comes off the bench to replace Jordan AYEW (out) (Ghana)
  15. 90′Jaminton CAMPAZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Luis DIAZ (out) (Colombia)

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Early Strike, Suffocating Control: Colombia Overwhelms Ghana

Colombia's decisive strike in the 14th minute set the tone for an evening of relentless domination at Kansas City. Quintero and Arias controlled the midfield tempo from the outset, imposing their 4-3-3 on Ghana's reactive 4-1-4-1. The Africans pressed high—4.7 phases to Colombia's 3.2—but without penetration. By half-time, Colombia had amassed eleven shots; Ghana managed just two. Davinson Sanchez's defensive composure meant Ghana rarely threatened the backline.

Colombia's xG of 1.8 against Ghana's 0.26 told the complete story. The winning goal proved sufficient despite second-half profligacy: Quintero's side squandered chances of 0.28 xG (58'), 0.23 xG (81'), and 0.22 xG (90+2'). Ghana's offensive void—zero shots on target—reflected their fundamental lack of answers to Colombia's midfield control and superior ball recovery (13.9 seconds against Ghana's 22.5). Lawrence Ati-Zigi made saves when required, but Thomas Partey's tireless defence could not compensate.

Ghana's zero shots on target was the match's defining statistic: a clean accounting of total football abdication.

14′

Early Colombian strike silenced Ghana's pressing and determined the evening's outcome.

What Colombia needed

Territorial dominance and clinical efficiency; only that Ghana's press never threatened.

  • Early strike (14') silenced Ghana's high press and kept them at 0.26 xG.
  • Possession control (55%) through Quintero/Arias mastery forced Ghana into reactive mode.
  • Ball recovery (13.9s vs 22.5s) exposed Ghana's defensive fragility on turnovers.

What Ghana needed

High press (4.7 phases) generated no reward; offensive impotence decided it.

  • Zero shots on target reflects systemic isolation; press created no scoring chances.
  • High press (4.7 phases) exhausted without compensation—xG of merely 0.26 tells the tale.
  • Ball recovery time (22.5s vs 13.9s) left defence exposed; Partey alone insufficient.