Colombia -- minus James -- slips past Peru 1-0 in front of 36,063 at Hard Rock Stadium
Neither the soggy weather nor the absence of injured James Rodriguez dampened the party atmosphere at Hard Rock Stadium Friday night. A fun-loving crowd of 36,063 fans danced in parking lot puddles and feasted on savory South American food before watching Colombia edge past Peru 1-0 with an injury-time goal by Alfredo Morelos.
Just before the final whistle, Morelos headed the ball into a scrum in front of Peru’s goal and it slid just past the line with a little help from Morelos’ teammate Davinson Sanchez.
Both teams were eager for a victory after subpar performances in recent games. Colombia lost to Chile in penalties in the quarterfinals of Copa America and had been shut out four games in a row, including a humbling 3-0 loss to Algeria last month in Lille, France. The last time Colombia scored a goal was in a 2-2 tie with Brazil at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 6.
Peru, meanwhile, went 1-5 in its previous five matches. Its lone win was 1-0 over Brazil on Sept. 10.
James, as Rodriguez is known, was the most famous name on the pre-game publicity posters, and was expected to start before tweaking his knee at the team’s final training session. He was having tests done Friday before flying back to Spain to rejoin Real Madrid.
“James was evaluated by the medical body and his first diagnosis is reserved,” according to a team statement. “For now, and as a precaution, James Rodriguez is ruled out for the match against Peru. A detailed imaging study will be carried out to confirm the definitive diagnosis.”
The 28-year-old arrived at Real Madrid with much hype after starring at the 2014 World Cup, but he has had numerous injuries and has had trouble breaking into the Real Madrid starting lineup. He also missed the Sept. 6 friendly against Brazil in Miami because of a calf injury.
Four months into the Real Madrid season, he has played just 422 minutes in nine games. He has started just five games. Word is he may be shopped around during the winter transfer window, with Premier League clubs Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea said to be interested.
Other top Colombian players who did play in the Peru game included Juan Cuadrado of Juventus, goalkeeper David Ospina of Napoli, Santiago Arias of Atletico Madrid, Davidson Sanchez of Tottenham and Yerry Mina of Everton. Ospina reportedly owns a condo in downtown Miami, and may be interested in some day joining Inter Miami.
The Peruvian roster included five Major League Soccer players, including midfielder Raul Ruidiaz, who led the Seattle Sounders to the MLS Cup championship last weekend with a 3-1 win over Toronto FC.
Colombia came out more aggressive Friday night and controlled the ball in the early minutes. Morelos, who plays for Rangers in the Scottish league, took a shot from close range in the 13th minute, but it was saved by Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
Peru got organized by midway through the first half and started to give the Colombians trouble. The most dangerous player on the field through 45 minutes was Peru captain Paolo Guerrero, a forward with Brazilian club Internacional. Guerrero squeezed through two Colombian defenders in the 26th minute, and was in great position to score, but Ospina dove for the ball and had his ear clipped by Guerrero’s cleat.
Guerrero had another chance in the 43rd minute, but was unable to finish. Cristian Benavente came off the bench for Peru after intermission and nearly scored in the 51st minute.
Other Peruvian players from MLS teams were defender Alex Callens (NYCFC), midfielder Andy Polo (Portland), midfielder Carlos Ascues (Orlando City) and 19-year-old defender Marcos Lopez (San Jose Earthquakes).
A Peruvian fan ran onto the field in the 82nd minute and made some nice moves to elude security guards, leading reporters in the press box to joke that maybe he should play for the Peruvian team. Colombia’s Stiven Mendoza nearly scored on a header in the 89th minute, but Gallese denied him.
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 10:50 PM.