Colombia edges Ghana, advances to face Switzerland in Vancouver for spot in World Cup quarterfinals

The plan for Colombia against Ghana on Friday night probably did not involve making a substitution just minutes into the match.

That plan also went by the wayside when Jhon Cordoba appeared to hurt his groin.

Forced into making a rare early move, Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo sent Luis Suarez onto the field, and he promptly delivered a sharp cross that Jhon Arias flicked into the net, resulting in the only goal on a sweltering night at Arrowhead Stadium and sending Los Cafeteros into the Round of 16 at the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Black Stars.

"I think football is a team sport," Lorenzo said. "Ultimately you do have little groups in certain areas, but you have to have a unit — a whole — and I think our squad has been working on that from the very onset. That was the goal from the very beginning."

The early goal was a good omen: Colombia has won 11 consecutive World Cup matches when scoring first. Now, it will play Switzerland on Tuesday in Vancouver for a spot in the quarterfinals.

"We have won absolutely nothing," Colombia star Luis Diaz said. "These games are very difficult. Every game we've seen has been tight. The good thing and the positive thing is that we're playing very well, we feel comfortable, we are being a family, we are working as a team, and that will work for what is coming."

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Los Cafeteros thought they had doubled their lead in the 56th minute, when Diaz found the back of the net only to see the offside flag raised, and the fleet-footed Colombia forward had a point-blank shot saved by Lawrence Ati Zigi