Colombia vs. Argentina: Winners and Losers from 2018 World Cup Quailifier
Argentina earned their first win of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying on Tuesday with a 1-0 road triumph over Colombia in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Lucas Biglia scored the match's only goal in the 20th minute on a tap-in after he started a fast counter with an interception in his own half.
Argentina dominated most of the match as the hosts barely found space to test Sergio Romero in between the pipes.
The Albiceleste moved up to fourth on five points in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table with the win, while Colombia dropped to seventh on four points.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from Tuesday's clash in Colombia.
Winner: Lucas Biglia
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Lucas Biglia turned defense into offense in an instant in the buildup to his first international tally.
Biglia made an interception in his own half and surged forward on a four-on-three breakaway before he gave the ball up to Ever Banega right past midfield. Banega then found Ezequiel Lavezzi on the right side of the box to continue the move.
Biglia continued his run into the box and benefited from his decision-making as he latched onto Lavezzi's cross in plenty of space in front of the Colombia net.
The goal from the Lazio man handed Argentina a welcome lead in a road match in which they needed a positive result.
Thanks to Biglia's finish, Argentina were able take control of the contest and earn their first win in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.
Loser: Teofilo Gutierrez
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The top scorer on the Colombia roster for the match in Barranquilla disappointed in his 58-minute shift up top for Los Cafeteros.
Teofilo Gutierrez could never get into a rhythm, and he could not link up with James Rodriguez in the attacking channels to find holes in the Argentina back line.
The 30-year-old forward was handed more time to find a breakthrough in the second half, but he was unable to make an impact before Colombia had to make a switch to energize their attack.
By failing to get three points at home in a critical early qualifying contest, Colombia left themselves near the bottom of the table entering 2016.
Winner: Luis Muriel
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Colombia's attack looked awful for the majority of the night, but it did receive a slight spark when Luis Muriel entered the match.
In his 45 minutes on the pitch, Muriel was the most active Colombian attacker as he sent a few shots in the direction of the goal.
Within four minutes of his entrance, Muriel found some space in the final third and sent in a shot that went wide right of the net.
Although he failed to test Sergio Romero with any significant chances, Muriel did show up in pockets of space in an attempt to create something moving forward for the hosts, which is something many of his teammates did not do.
Loser: James Rodriguez
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In his final match before El Clasico, James Rodriguez was vacant from the Colombia attack for long stretches as the Argentina defense marked the Real Madrid playmaker out of the game.
James only had one dangerous opportunity over 90 minutes on a free-kick in the 63rd minute, but he sent that attempt straight into the wall.
Outside of that one chance on a free-kick, James could not break free from the solid play of Javier Mascherano in front of the Argentina defense. When he did try to get by Mascherano, he was immediately stopped by the organized Argentina back four.
If Tuesday's match is any indication of what might happen in El Clasico on Saturday, James may have another rough 90 minutes against Mascherano.
Winners: The Argentina Back Four
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All four of the players who lined up in defense for Argentina on Tuesday deserve plenty of credit for their performances against the dangerous Colombia attack led by James.
Gabriel Mercado, Rogelio Funes Mori, Nicolas Otamendi and Marcos Rojo allowed one shot to test Sergio Romero in net, and that attempt was straight at the goalkeeper late in the second half.
The only negative about Tuesday's match for the Argentina defense was an apparent head injury suffered by Mercado late in the match. Gino Peruzzi came on for Mercado and picked up where he left off.
Thanks to the all-around defensive masterpiece turned in by the Argentina back four and Mascherano, the Albiceleste got their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track.
The road victory moved Argentina above Colombia on five points and into a more comfortable position in the top five heading into 2016.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
