Colombia 1-0 Congo DR: Mpasi heroics mask harsh reality as Colombia expose Leopards' limits

DR Congo were outclassed by Colombia successful their 2nd Group K fixture successful Guadalajara connected Tuesday night, going down 1-0 astatine Estadio Akron pursuing a show that exposed important limitations — and lone the heroics of goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi kept the harm to a minimum.

The Leopards had held Portugal to a 1-1 draw successful the opener, but the Colombians presented a acold much relentless challenge, and a heavier decision was lone avoided acknowledgment to 1 of the astir singular idiosyncratic goalkeeping performances seen astatine this World Cup.

Mpasi, who plays his nine shot astatine Le Havre, made 5 saves successful the opening 20 minutes alone, becoming the archetypal goalkeeper astatine a World Cup to execute that feat since Warren Barrett did truthful for Jamaica against Argentina successful 1998.

A superb debased halt to contradict Arias, a clawing fingertip prevention to support retired Munoz, a reflexive artifact to contradict James Rodriguez from distance, a genu prevention to repel a Luis Diaz effort and a two-fisted punch to crook distant a Puerta onslaught — helium repelled everything.

While Mpasi was performing his one-man rearguard action, DR Congo were offering astir thing successful response, with an Edo Kayembe effort that narrowly missed the people representing their sole publication successful attack.

DR Congo steamrolled by relentless Colombia

The pressing and counter-pressing of the Cafeteros was suffocating. DR Congo's mean shot betterment clip during that opening spell was 36 seconds — compared to conscionable 8 seconds for Colombia — illustrating the grade to which they were pinned backmost and overwhelmed.

After a little respite pursuing the archetypal hydration break, DR Congo brag Sebastien Desabre opted to regenerate Ngal'ayel Mukau — who had fixed the shot distant dangerously precocious successful the archetypal fractional — with Noah Sadiki astatine the interval.

The midfield alteration did not fundamentally change the equilibrium of the game, however, and DR Congo continued to beryllium dominated throughout. The deadlock yet broke precocious erstwhile Daniel Munoz fto alert and saw his effort deflect disconnected Steve Kapuadi to wrong-foot the antecedently impenetrable Mpasi.

A toothless attacking show from DR Congo

The 5-3-2 strategy that had served DR Congo truthful good against Portugal near them acold excessively passive connected Tuesday, incapable to use capable unit to disrupt Colombia's well-drilled crippled plan. The tactical operation besides delivered an highly mediocre violative return.

Strikers Cedric Bakambu, Simon Banza — introduced connected 57 minutes — and Yoane Wissa managed a combined full of conscionable 5 touches wrong the absorption container crossed the full match.

DR Congo finished the crippled with an expected goals fig of conscionable 0.4 and a azygous changeable connected target: a bold precocious effort from Nathanael Mbuku successful added time, which Camilo Vargas turned behind. By that stage, immoderate comeback was retired of the question.

What indispensable Desabre alteration against Uzbekistan?

The Leopards indispensable amusement considerably much successful onslaught erstwhile they look Uzbekistan successful their last radical crippled connected Saturday nighttime if they are to support their World Cup alive.

A triumph would springiness DR Congo 4 points and a accidental of advancing either arsenic runners-up — an improbable script fixed the six-goal quality that separates them from Portugal successful that respect — oregon arsenic 1 of the 8 champion third-placed teams.

Against a broadside that has conceded 8 goals crossed their opening 2 fixtures, a DR Congo triumph is acold from unthinkable. However, Desabre whitethorn request to tinker with his starting line-up and follow a much ambitious strategy than the 5-3-2 if his broadside are to make the chances required to triumph the game.