Group C of the 2014 FIFA World Cup consisted of Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, and Japan. Play began on 14 June and ended on 24 June 2014. The top two teams, Colombia and Greece, advanced to the round of 16.
Teams Draw position Team Confederation Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings October 2013 June 2014 C1 (seed) CONMEBOL CONMEBOL 2nd runners-up 11 October 2013 5th 1998 Round of 16 (1990) 4 8 C2 UEFA UEFA Play-off winners 19 November 2013 3rd 2010 Group stage (1994, 2010) 15 12 C3 CAF CAF third round winners 16 November 2013 3rd 2010 Group stage (2006, 2010) 17 23 C4 AFC AFC fourth round Group B 1st winners 4 June 2013 5th 2010 Round of 16 (2002, 2010) 44 46
Notes
Standings
Colombia advanced to play Uruguay (runner-up of Group D) in the round of 16. Greece advanced to play Costa Rica (winner of Group D) in the round of 16.
Matches Colombia vs Greece The two teams had met in one previous match, in a friendly in 1994, where Colombia won 2–0. Colombia midfielder Fredy Guarín was suspended for the match, after being sent off in the team's final qualifier against Paraguay.
Colombia took the lead within five minutes, Juan Cuadrado's cutback was converted by Pablo Armero via a deflection off Greek defender Kostas Manolas. Colombia extended the lead in the second half, when Abel Aguilar flicked on a corner kick from James Rodríguez and Teófilo Gutiérrez scored from close range. Greece's best chance fell to Theofanis Gekas, who headed against the bar. In stoppage time, Cuadrado set up James to complete the scoring with a low shot.
The 3–0 scoreline was Colombia's biggest win to date in the World Cup.
GK 1 David OspinaRB 18Juan Camilo ZúñigaCB 2 Cristián ZapataCB 3 Mario Yepes (c)LB 7 Pablo Armero CM 6 Carlos Sánchez CM 8 Abel Aguilar RW 11Juan CuadradoAM 10James RodríguezLW 14Víctor IbarboCF 9 Teófilo Gutiérrez Substitutions:MF 15Alexander Mejía DF 4 Santiago Arias FW 21Jackson Martínez Manager: José Pékerman GK 1 Orestis KarnezisRB 15Vasilis TorosidisCB 4 Kostas ManolasCB 19Sokratis Papastathopoulos LB 20José HolebasRM 14Dimitris Salpingidis CM 2 Giannis ManiatisCM 21Kostas Katsouranis (c)LM 8 Panagiotis Kone CF 7 Georgios SamarasCF 17Theofanis Gekas Substitutions:MF 18Giannis Fetfatzidis FW 9 Konstantinos Mitroglou MF 10Giorgos Karagounis Manager: Fernando Santos
Man of the Match: James Rodríguez (Colombia)
Assistant referees: Mark Hurd (United States) Joe Fletcher (Canada) Fourth official: Alireza Faghani (Iran) Fifth official: Hassan Kamranifar (Iran)
Ivory Coast vs Japan The two teams had met in three previous matches, all in friendlies, most recently in 2010.
Japan took the lead in the first half, when Keisuke Honda collected a pass from Yuto Nagatomo after a quick throw-in to strike home with his left foot high into the net.
However, Ivory Coast came back with two goals in two minutes in the second half, first Wilfried Bony headed in from Serge Aurier's cross from the right from six yards, followed by a Gervinho header from six yards from another cross from Aurier on the right.
With his goal, Honda became the first Japanese player to score in two World Cups, and also claimed sole possession of being the top Japanese scorer in World Cup history with three total goals.
GK 1 Boubacar BarryRB 17Serge AurierCB 5 Didier Zokora CB 22Sol Bamba LB 3 Arthur Boka CM 9 Cheick TiotéCM 20Serey Die AM 19Yaya Touré (c)RF 8 Salomon KalouCF 12Wilfried Bony LF 10GervinhoSubstitutions:FW 11Didier Drogba DF 18Constant Djakpa FW 13Didier Ya Konan Manager: Sabri Lamouchi GK 1 Eiji KawashimaRB 2 Atsuto UchidaCB 22Maya Yoshida CB 6 Masato Morishige LB 5 Yuto NagatomoDM 16Hotaru YamaguchiDM 17Makoto Hasebe (c) RW 9 Shinji OkazakiAM 4 Keisuke HondaLW 10Shinji Kagawa CF 18Yuya Osako Substitutions:MF 7 Yasuhito Endō FW 13Yoshito Ōkubo MF 11Yoichiro Kakitani Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni
Man of the Match: Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast)
Assistant referees: Carlos Astroza (Chile) Sergio Román (Chile) Fourth official: Néant Alioum (Cameroon) Fifth official: Djibril Camara (Senegal)
Colombia vs Ivory Coast
The two teams had never met before.
After a goalless first half, Colombia scored first when James Rodríguez headed in Juan Cuadrado's corner. The lead was extended six minutes later when Ivory Coast was caught in possession, and Teófilo Gutiérrez released substitute Juan Quintero to score. Ivory Coast reduced the deficit through Gervinho, who received a pass from Arthur Boka in the left wing, dribbled past three Colombian players and shot home.
The second goal of the tournament by James allowed him to join Bernardo Redín and Adolfo Valencia as the only Colombian players to score more than one goal in the World Cup.
GK 1 David OspinaRB 18Juan Camilo ZúñigaCB 2 Cristián ZapataCB 3 Mario Yepes (c)LB 7 Pablo Armero CM 8 Abel Aguilar CM 6 Carlos SánchezRW 11Juan CuadradoAM 10James RodríguezLW 14Víctor Ibarbo CF 9 Teófilo GutiérrezSubstitutions:MF 20Juan Quintero DF 4 Santiago Arias MF 15Alexander Mejía Manager: José Pékerman GK 1 Boubacar BarryRB 17Serge AurierCB 5 Didier Zokora CB 22Sol BambaLB 3 Arthur BokaCM 20Serey Die CM 9 Cheick Tioté RW 10GervinhoAM 19Yaya Touré (c)LW 15Max Gradel CF 12Wilfried Bony Substitutions:FW 11Didier Drogba FW 8 Salomon Kalou MF 6 Mathis Bolly Manager: Sabri Lamouchi
Man of the Match: James Rodríguez (Colombia)
Assistant referees: Michael Mullarkey (England) Darren Cann (England) Fourth official: Víctor Hugo Carrillo (Peru) Fifth official: Rodney Aquino (Paraguay)
Japan vs Greece
The two teams had met in one previous match, in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup group stage, won by Japan 1–0.
Greece was reduced to ten men in the first half when Kostas Katsouranis was booked twice in eleven minutes. In the second half, Greece had a Theofanis Gekas header saved, while Japan, which needed at least a point to stay alive in the competition, had chances to score through Yoshito Ōkubo and Atsuto Uchida, but the game finished goalless. The result ensured Colombia's qualification to the knockout stage, their first since 1990.
This was the first clean sheet kept by Greece in World Cup history.
GK 1 Eiji KawashimaRB 2 Atsuto UchidaCB 22Maya YoshidaCB 15Yasuyuki KonnoLB 5 Yuto NagatomoCM 16Hotaru YamaguchiCM 17Makoto Hasebe (c) RW 9 Shinji OkazakiAM 4 Keisuke HondaLW 13Yoshito ŌkuboCF 18Yuya Osako Substitutions:MF 7 Yasuhito Endō MF 10Shinji Kagawa Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni GK 1 Orestis KarnezisRB 15Vasilis Torosidis CB 4 Kostas ManolasCB 19Sokratis PapastathopoulosLB 20José HolebasDM 21Kostas Katsouranis (c) CM 2 Giannis ManiatisCM 8 Panagiotis Kone RW 18Giannis Fetfatzidis LW 7 Georgios Samaras CF 9 Kostas Mitroglou Substitutions:FW 17Theofanis Gekas MF 10Giorgos Karagounis FW 14Dimitris Salpingidis Manager: Fernando Santos
Man of the Match: Keisuke Honda (Japan)
Assistant referees: William Torres (El Salvador) Juan Zumba (El Salvador) Fourth official: Norbert Hauata (Tahiti) Fifth official: Aden Marwa (Kenya)
Japan vs Colombia The two teams had met in two previous matches, most recently in a friendly in 2007, and also in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup group stage, won by Colombia 1–0.
Colombia took the lead mid-way through the first half, with Juan Cuadrado taking a penalty kick, shooting low down the middle after Japan centre back Yasuyuki Konno fouled Colombia striker Adrián Ramos in the box. Japan then equalised through Shinji Okazaki's headed goal from a cross from Keisuke Honda on the right in first half stoppage time. Colombia's James Rodríguez was introduced after the half time break, and was credited for providing two assists for two goals scored by Jackson Martínez, on 55 minutes when he shot low to the net with his left foot, and 82 minutes when he curled the ball in from the right of the penalty area with his left foot, before finishing off the scoring with a strike of his own, assisted by Ramos, where he beat the last man before clipping the ball over the goalkeeper. Colombia, which had already qualified for the knockout stage and would do so as group winners if either they didn't lose this match or Ivory Coast did not beat Greece in the other match, finished as group winners with a perfect record of three wins out of three, while Japan, which had to win the match to have any chance to qualify, were eliminated.
Faryd Mondragón became the oldest player to make an appearance in the history of the World Cup, at the age of , when he came on for the last five minutes of the match, breaking the record of Roger Milla, who played at the 1994 World Cup at the age of 42. He also set the record for the longest time between World Cup appearances as 15 years and 363 days had passed since his last versus England at the 1998 World Cup, breaking Alfred Bickel's record of 12 years and 13 days between appearances (1938–1950).
GK 1 Eiji KawashimaRB 2 Atsuto UchidaCB 22Maya YoshidaCB 15Yasuyuki Konno LB 5 Yuto NagatomoCM 14Toshihiro Aoyama CM 17Makoto Hasebe (c)RW 9 Shinji Okazaki AM 4 Keisuke HondaLW 10Shinji Kagawa CF 13Yoshito ŌkuboSubstitutions:MF 16Hotaru Yamaguchi FW 11Yoichiro Kakitani MF 8 Hiroshi Kiyotake Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni GK 1 David Ospina (c) RB 4 Santiago AriasCB 23Carlos ValdésCB 16Éder BalantaLB 7 Pablo ArmeroRM 11Juan Cuadrado CM 15Alexander MejíaCM 13Fredy Guarín LM 20Juan Quintero SS 19Adrián RamosCF 21Jackson MartínezSubstitutions:MF 5 Carlos Carbonero MF 10James Rodríguez GK 22Faryd Mondragón Manager: José Pékerman
Man of the Match: Jackson Martínez (Colombia)
Assistant referees: Bertino Cunha (Portugal) Tiago Trigo (Portugal) Fourth official: Roberto Moreno (Panama) Fifth official: Eric Boria (United States)
Greece vs Ivory Coast
The two teams had never met before. Greece midfielder Kostas Katsouranis (red card in previous match) and Ivory Coast defender Didier Zokora (accumulation of yellow cards) were suspended for the match.
Greece, which had to win to have any chance to qualify for the knockout stage, went in front in the 42nd minute after Cheick Tioté's defensive mistake allowed substitute Andreas Samaris to steal the ball, play a one-two with Georgios Samaras, and run in on goal before shooting past the goalkeeper with his right foot. In the second half, substitute Wilfried Bony equalised with a low right foot finish after Gervinho's pass from the left. As Japan were losing to Colombia in the other match played at the same time, Ivory Coast only required a point to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time. The game looked to be heading for a draw, until Greece won a penalty in injury time when Giovanni Sio tripped Samaras as he was about to strike the ball, and Samaras scored the penalty hitting the ball to the goalkeeper's left. The win meant Greece finished as the group runners-up, and put them into the knockout stage for the first time in its World Cup history (after unsuccessful campaigns in 1994 and 2010), while Ivory Coast were eliminated in the group stage for the third tournament in a row.
GK 1 Orestis Karnezis RB 15Vasilis TorosidisCB 4 Kostas ManolasCB 19Sokratis PapastathopoulosLB 20José HolebasDM 10Giorgos Karagounis (c) CM 2 Giannis ManiatisCM 16Lazaros ChristodoulopoulosRW 8 Panagiotis Kone LW 7 Georgios SamarasCF 14Dimitris SalpingidisSubstitutions:MF 22Andreas Samaris GK 12Panagiotis Glykos FW 17Theofanis Gekas Manager: Fernando Santos GK 1 Boubacar BarryRB 17Serge AurierCB 4 Kolo TouréCB 22Sol BambaLB 3 Arthur BokaCM 9 Cheick Tioté CM 20Serey Die RW 8 Salomon Kalou AM 19Yaya TouréLW 10Gervinho CF 11Didier Drogba (c) Substitutions:FW 12Wilfried Bony MF 14Ismaël Diomandé FW 21Giovanni Sio Manager: Sabri Lamouchi
Man of the Match: Georgios Samaras (Greece)
Assistant referees: Christian Lescano (Ecuador) Byron Romero (Ecuador) Fourth official: Sandro Ricci (Brazil) Fifth official: Emerson de Carvalho (Brazil)
See also Colombia at the FIFA World Cup Greece at the FIFA World Cup Ivory Coast at the FIFA World Cup