Colombia Vs. Venezuela, CONMEBOL World Cup 2014 Qualifying: Venezuela Score Late To Rescue 1-1 Draw

Venezuela are slowly but surely demonstrating that they’re not a team to be taken lightly. After a phenomenal showing during this summer’s Copa America, they’re also playing very well in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, and Colombia are just the latest side to drop points against them following a 1-1 draw in Barranquilla that Venezuela may well have deserved to win.

The visitors looked good throughout, but it was Colombia who drew first blood after the impressive Jackson Martinez laid the ball off to Fredy Alejandro Guarin in the 11th minute. There didn’t look to be much threat with Guarin a good 30 yards from goal, but the midfielder unleashed a thunderbolt towards Renny Vicente Vega’s net, and Vega could only palm the ball into the top corner. From then on, it was very much a matter of Venezuela controlling the game, throwing bodies forward and yet being unable to convert, at least until very late in the game.

Immediately after Teofilo Antonio Gutierrez was denied Colombia’s second thanks to the linesman’s flag, the visitors struck back through Frank Feltscher, who broke free of the home defence and slipped the ball expertly beyond David Ospina to level the scores at 1-1. There was still some time for late drama, with Colombia’s James Rodriguez clipping the crossbar in injury time, but the draw held and Venezuela got a good result away from home. Both teams are now in the top four in their qualifying group, in line for a berth at the 2014 World Cup.