Munoz Strike Sends Colombia Into World Cup Knockouts
Daniel Munoz's deflected 76th-minute effort broke DR Congo's resistance and made Colombia the first team out of Group K into the World Cup round of 32.
- Colombia beat DR Congo 1-0 in Guadalajara on a Daniel Munoz goal in the 76th minute.
- With six points, Colombia became the first Group K side to reach the knockout stage and stay top.
- In the final round, Colombia face Portugal on June 27 for top spot, while Congo meet Uzbekistan to survive.
- DR Congo keeper Lionel Mpasi kept his side level for long stretches with a string of saves.
For an hour the crowd in Guadalajara muttered under its breath. Colombia kept firing, shot after shot, corner after corner, drives down both flanks, and still the ball would not go in. Then, in the 76th minute, Daniel Munoz arrived at the edge of the box, swung his boot, and the strike clipped a Congolese defender just enough to wrong-foot the keeper. The stadium erupted. The Crystal Palace wing-back sprinted to the corner flag with arms spread wide, and his teammates buried him. After a long grind, the job was done.
That single deflected effort was enough to make Colombia the first team out of Group K into the World Cup round of 32. It was Munoz’s second goal of the tournament, and once again he was the decisive man, the full-back who loves to gamble into space while everyone else watches the strikers.
Why was this match harder than the scoreline suggests?
The numbers describe a dominance that took an age to pay off. Colombia put 20 shots on the night, strolling over the halfway line as if it were a training drill, only to break against an outstanding goalkeeper. Lionel Mpasi kept his side alive with save after save, clawing away point-blank chances and lifting the crowd off their seats several times. Had he held out a little longer, today’s story would read very differently.
The African side played with discipline, sat deep and were brave on the counter. They defended in a low block, waited for the break, and trusted their man between the posts. But football is unforgiving to those who soak up pressure too long. One rebound, one second of inattention, and all the effort drains away. Munoz exploited exactly that crack.
For Colombia this is a second win and six points from two rounds, which means easy sleep before the final group game. Now they can calculate, rotate, protect bookings and bodies for the elimination rounds. At a major tournament that luxury is worth almost as much as qualification itself.
What comes next for Group K?
The picture is now clear. Colombia face Portugal on June 27, and that duel is no longer about survival but pride, because it decides first place in the group and a potentially smoother route through the knockouts. The Portuguese are world-class opponents, so it will be a real test of form before the serious games arrive.
DR Congo, meanwhile, play their final before the final. Against Uzbekistan they need a win to stay alive, because defeat means packing the bags and flying home. Mpasi and company showed against Colombia that they have heart and structure, they were just missing that one goal up front. If they find it against Uzbekistan, everything stays open.
Colombia got what they wanted, but the way they got there raises a question for the rounds ahead. Against stronger opponents, will 20 shots again be enough for a single goal, or will Nestor Lorenzo’s side need to be sharper when the cost of a miss is far higher?
