A 1-0 victory against Ghana by Colombia has set up a match against Switzerland.

The sole goal scored by Colombia was scored by Jhon Arias, and the team won 1-0 against Ghana in Kansas City on Friday. This victory allowed Colombia to advance to the round of 16 of the World Cup. Colombia has been quietly impressive throughout this tournament, and they have established themselves as a dangerous outsider.

A goal scored by Arias in the fourteenth minute, which was a cross from Luis Suarez, who came on as a substitute, was followed by a goal scored by Colombia’s disciplined defense. This allowed Nestor Lorenzo’s team to prolong their streak of not losing a match and secure a match against Switzerland in the next round.

In spite of taking first place in Group K and going undefeated against Portugal, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia had mainly remained under the radar during the tournament.

Suarez, who was thrown into action after Jhon Cordoba was pulled off with an apparent groin injury in the eighth minute, produced a precise cross to the back post where Arias had somehow drifted unmarked. This was the moment that they made their breakthrough on Friday. It was a combination of two players who had not been expected to work together.

Arias, who had the opportunity to select his position and the space to do so, gently guided the ball into the bottom corner to give his team the lead that they deserved.

Tens of thousands of Colombian fans turned the match against Ghana, a team who was ranked sixty places behind them, into a de facto home game, providing the South American team a level of support that is rarely seen so far away from their home country. The stadium felt more like Barranquilla than Kansas City.

In the sweltering heat of thirty degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), the stands were a sea of yellow jerseys, spinning scarves, and black-and-white sombrero vueltiao caps. Many of the spectators wore these hats to fan their faces.

They jumped together, shouted their team forward with every attack, and frequently broke into cries of “Vamos Colombia! Esta noche tenemos que ganar!” (Let’s go Colombia, tonight we have to win). Both of these actions were performed in sync.

They did not have cause to be concerned. When compared to other teams, Colombia was by far the superior one.

Luis Diaz had a great deal of opportunities to score. In the first half, he shot the ball into the side netting. It was then that he celebrated what he believed to be the second goal of the game early in the second half when he scored from Arias’s cross. However, the goal was disallowed since it was scored from an offside position.

The players under Lorenzo’s command continued to make efforts to score a second goal, and Ghana’s goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who had been outstanding throughout the entire match, produced one outstanding save after another in the final minutes of the match. Meanwhile, Colombia’s supporters cheered for each and every touch of the ball that their team made.

Despite the fact that Antoine Semenyo was Ghana’s most dangerous attacking threat, Colombia’s solid defense prevented him from having a clear view of the basket.

Los Cafeteros were the fourth South American team to go to the round of sixteen, joining surprise package Paraguay, who surprised Germany, as well as Brazil and Argentina, both of which survived scares of their own. Brazil and Argentina escaped scares of their own.

This coming Tuesday, Colombia will be playing the Swiss in Vancouver.

Marvin Senaya, a right back for Ghana, suffered a hamstring injury in the 13th minute of the match, which resulted in his limping off the field. This was the first occasion in the history of the competition that both teams were forced to make a substitute before the 15-minute mark due to injuries.