Colombia had a late goal controversially ruled out for offside but they still topped Group K at the expense of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Miami.
The South Americans appeared to have won a thrilling game in the 90th minute when Davinson Sanchez headed home, but he was denied by the verdict of the assistant referee – having been offside by a fraction.
Replays, broadcast in the stadium to hearty boos, showed the tip of the former Tottenham centre-back’s right boot was offside when the cross was delivered for him to head past Diogo Costa.
While it was offside by the letter of the law and did not affect the group standings, it denied Colombia a win they would have deserved on the balance of play and left a sour taste in the BBC studio.
“It’s onside, I don’t care what they’re telling me and what information they’re giving me, that is onside,” former England striker and BBC pundit Wayne Rooney said.
“That cannot be offside. Imagine that goal was to decide if Colombia were in or out of the next round.”
Colombia manager Nestor Lorenzo meanwhile joked in his post-match media conference that he would ask Sanchez to visit a podologist before their next game.
Rather than progression or elimination, this game was to decide the order of the top two in Group K.
Portugal needed a win in order to top the pool, against opponents roared on by vast swathes of yellow-shirted fans.
Colombia striker Jhon Cordoba, brought into the starting XI for this game, headed over the bar inside the first minute before being denied brilliantly by a one-handed Diogo Costa save shortly after.
Portugal, led once again by 41-year-old Ronaldo, came into the game later in the first half as Colombia keeper Camilo Vargas made a stunning point-blank save from Bruno Fernandes.
Ronaldo, who had proclaimed “I’m back” when scoring twice last time out in the 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, returned to being a peripheral figure here as he had been in the 1-1 draw against DR Congo in Portugal’s opener.
And the Portuguese hung on in the second half as Colombia came forward in waves, both Richard Rios and Gustavo Puerta coming close.
Luis Suarez hooked a volley over an open goal, before Sanchez was denied.
Yet while Colombia drew a World Cup blank for the first time since losing to England in 1998, they deservedly earned top spot in the group.
