Colombia defeated 3-0 Australia in their last game of the year, a friendly played this Tuesday at the Citi Field stadium in New York (USA). The Australians played very far back and complicated those led by Argentine Néstor Lorenzo, who ended up taking the victory with a penalty goal from James Rodríguez, a score from Luis Díaz and another goal from Jefferson Lerma.
The game, which served as preparation for both teams for the 2026 World Cup, had few opportunities in goal, but it allowed both coaches to see how their teams responded against a type of opponent that they do not usually encounter and that they may have to face in the World Cup.
The Socceroos’ football was a challenge from the first minutes for the coffee growers, as those led by Darren Bazeley dropped back and sought to do damage with long balls for the attacker Mohamed Toure, who had many difficulties to prevail against the central defenders Davinson Sánchez and Jhon Lucumí.
James scored Colombia’s first, from a penalty
In this context, the South Americans took possession of the ball under the leadership of James, who moved throughout the field looking for partnerships with his teammates to break the numerous rival defense. With the game like this, Colombia only had one clear opportunity to score in the first half, at minute 22, when midfielder Yaser Asprilla filtered a pass to Díaz, who received it on the edge of the area, turned and took a shot that goalkeeper Paul Izzo saved with a swipe.
Australia, for its part, did not attack much, but was closer to celebrating than the coffee growers in the last play of the initial stage: a free kick taken by midfielder Aiden O’Neill that goalkeeper Camilo Vargas saved with a notable stretch.
In the second half, the game maintained the rhythm of the first 45 minutes and Colombia barely reached 61 for the first time in a great collective play in which left back Johan Mojica took a mid-distance shot that he took with a swipe, again, by Izzo.
As the minutes passed, the game became increasingly tangled until in the 74th minute, defender Callum Elder knocked down full-back Santiago Arias in the area and judge Tori Penso awarded a penalty. The person in charge of collecting was James, who two minutes later took a cross shot that was impossible to stop for the Australian goalkeeper who rushed to the other side.
TECHNICAL SHEET
3 – Colombia: Camilo Vargas; Santiago Arias, Davinson Sánchez, Jhon Lucumí, Johan Mojica; Juan Camilo Portilla (m.82, Jefferson Lerma), Richard Ríos (m.69, Gustavo Puerta), Yaser Asprilla (m.81, Jorge Carrascal), James Rodríguez; Luis Díaz and Luis Suárez (m.69, Rafael Santos Borré).
0 – Australia: Paul Izzo; Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles (m.60, Callum Elder), Milos Degenek, Kai Trewin, Cameron Burgess; Aiden O’Neill (m.78, Paul Okon), Jackson Irvine (m.60, Max Balard), Connor Metcalfe (m.78, Martin Boyle), Riley McGree (m.78, Nestory Irankunda), and Mohamed Toure.
Goals: 1-0, James Rodríguez, from a penalty (m. 76); 2-0, Luis Díaz (m. 89); 3-0, Jefferson Lerma (m. 90+3)
referee: American Tori Penso. He cautioned Aiden O’Neill, Kye Rowles, Jefferson Lerma and Gustavo Puerta.
Incidents: Friendly match played at the Citi Field stadium in New York.
When it seemed that not much more was going to happen, the coffee team extended the lead, at 89, in a lethal counterattack in which Rafael Santos Borré, faced with a bad start from Izzo, enabled Díaz with a touch, who pushed the ball to celebrate with the crowd that arrived at Citi Field. The final 3-0 came in the 93rd minute on a corner kick in which, after a series of rebounds, Lerma, who had entered in the 82nd minute, kicked the ball into the back so Colombia could say goodbye with a rout in 2025.
