Colombia 1 Japan 2: Osako nets winner with second half header to earn revenge after drubbing in last World Cup
South American side were forced to play almost the entire contest with a man less after Carlos Sanchez was shown a straight red card for a handball
JAPAN got revenge for Brazil 2014 with victory over Colombia in Saransk.
Four years ago Colombia dumped them out the tournament at the group stage with a 4-1 hammering.
But there was redemption for Japan against ten-man Colombia with Yuyu Osako heading the winning goal on 73 minutes.
Carlos Sanchez got his deserved marching orders after just three minutes for a deliberate handball.
Osaka had a shot saved and, with David Ospina out of his ground, Shinji Kagawa followed up with a shot at the exposed goal.
Sanchez decided to take one for the team as he jumped across the line of the shot, blocking it with an outstretched right arm.
The referee immediately pointed to the spot and showed a red card.
Complaints ensued, although the case for the defence was unclear.
The three-minute delay did not perturb Kagawa, and he calmly rolled the ball down the middle as the goalkeeper dived to the left.
Colombia’s response was a good one.
At 32 the country’s record goalscorer Radamel Falcao is playing in his first World Cup, with failure to qualify and a cruciate knee ligament injury four years ago denying him previously.
He had two identical first half chances which had the same result.
Leaping kung-fu style to reach chipped balls into the box, his outstreched boot could only guide the ball straight at Eiji Kawashima both times.
And it was a free kick won by the former United loanee that drew the Colombians level on 39 minutes.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE All the latest action, news, goals and gossip from the World Cup
latest World Cup news
The Japanese wall was clearly expecting Juan Quintero to curl his shot over them so jumped as he was about to make contact.
Quintero cleverly anticipated this and rolled his shot under the wall towards the near post.
Kawashima scrambled across his line and claimed he had kept the ball from going over - but goal line technology wasn't necessary for most of the world to see it was a goal.
The second half saw Osaka and Takashi Inui denied by two good saves from Ospina.
Colombia coach Jose Pekerman responded to this pressure by sending on James Rodriguez for goal scorer Quintero.
The 2014 Golden Boot winner had been struggling with a calf injury, preventing him from starting the game.
On this occasion he could not summon up the same magic we saw in Brazil, which included that stunning volleyed goal of the tournament against Uruguay.
Indeed, the magic moment would be Japan’s when, with 17 minutes left, Osaka met substitute Keisuke Honda’s corner with a superb glancing header to decide the game.