Colombia can not afford to worry about its loss to Japan in its first World Cup match against Poland in a crucial second Group H game, said midfielder Abel Aguilar.
The team of Jose Pekerman came to the tournament as a big favorite to win, but Carlos Sanchez was sent off in the third minute of the 2-1 loss to ensure a miserable start.
That result, together with the defeat of Poland by the same scoreboard in Senegal, means that the two sides are in a precarious position.
Senegal and Japan face each other three hours before and a draw in that clash will mean the loss by Colombia or Poland that would result in their elimination.
And while Aguilar recognizes that Colombia has no other choice but to win, he is convinced that Pekerman's side is calm and they are not dealing with any "drama".
"The only thing I can say is that we hope to have a full game on Sunday, Colombia needs to win to stay alive," he told reporters.
"We passed the page in Japan, we can not regret it, unfortunately it was lost, but we know that we have two games ahead that can give us the option to advance in the World Cup.
"In the national team there is no drama, we have all talked in a low voice, recognizing that we lost a game that we should have won, but now we have to look forward and carry this forward."
Pekerman is expected to modify his configuration a bit against Senegal, with Sevilla striker Luis Muriel thought to be in line to team up with Radamel Falcao in attack after the Monaco star cut a frustrated figure the last time.
And after having to make do with a spot on the bench against Japan due to an injury, it is likely that James Rodriguez will again be welcomed in the starting lineup by Pekerman in a significant boost to Colombia's chances.
However, Poland plans to be ready to face the Bayern Munich offensive midfielder, and the second coach, Hubert Malowiejski, will be aware that trying to keep him quiet will be "key".
"We know how good James is," he said. "But we treat Colombia as a complete team, even if they have a great player.
"The key point is not to let it play brilliantly, it's one of the most important tasks for our team."
The only player on each side who will definitely be lost at this stage is Sanchez for suspension.
PLAYERS TO SEE
Poland - Robert Lewandowski
The hopes that Poland has to leave their group after a defeat on the first day of the session will surely depend on the Bayern Munich striker, but it should be much better than it was against Senegal when it had very little impact.
Colombia - James Rodriguez
It is expected that James, a teammate of Bayern Lewandowski, will return to the Colombia lineup. Although Juan Quintero scored as his replacement the last time, the presence of the attacker owned by Real Madrid was clearly missed. His office makes Colombia a completely different proposal.
MAIN OPTA FACTS
- Only once before, Colombia lost its first two matches in a World Cup tournament, and it did against Romania and the United States team in 1994.
- Poland have not managed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine World Cup matches, since they defeated Portugal 1-0 in 1986.
- Despite not scoring against Senegal in the opening game of Poland, Lewandowski has scored 21 goals in his last 16 appearances for his national team.
- Quintero became the first Colombian player to score in two World Cup tournaments (2014 and '18) in the first loss to Japan.
The team of Jose Pekerman came to the tournament as a big favorite to win, but Carlos Sanchez was sent off in the third minute of the 2-1 loss to ensure a miserable start.
That result, together with the defeat of Poland by the same scoreboard in Senegal, means that the two sides are in a precarious position.
Senegal and Japan face each other three hours before and a draw in that clash will mean the loss by Colombia or Poland that would result in their elimination.
And while Aguilar recognizes that Colombia has no other choice but to win, he is convinced that Pekerman's side is calm and they are not dealing with any "drama".
"The only thing I can say is that we hope to have a full game on Sunday, Colombia needs to win to stay alive," he told reporters.
"We passed the page in Japan, we can not regret it, unfortunately it was lost, but we know that we have two games ahead that can give us the option to advance in the World Cup.
"In the national team there is no drama, we have all talked in a low voice, recognizing that we lost a game that we should have won, but now we have to look forward and carry this forward."
Pekerman is expected to modify his configuration a bit against Senegal, with Sevilla striker Luis Muriel thought to be in line to team up with Radamel Falcao in attack after the Monaco star cut a frustrated figure the last time.
And after having to make do with a spot on the bench against Japan due to an injury, it is likely that James Rodriguez will again be welcomed in the starting lineup by Pekerman in a significant boost to Colombia's chances.
However, Poland plans to be ready to face the Bayern Munich offensive midfielder, and the second coach, Hubert Malowiejski, will be aware that trying to keep him quiet will be "key".
"We know how good James is," he said. "But we treat Colombia as a complete team, even if they have a great player.
"The key point is not to let it play brilliantly, it's one of the most important tasks for our team."
The only player on each side who will definitely be lost at this stage is Sanchez for suspension.
PLAYERS TO SEE
Poland - Robert Lewandowski
The hopes that Poland has to leave their group after a defeat on the first day of the session will surely depend on the Bayern Munich striker, but it should be much better than it was against Senegal when it had very little impact.
Colombia - James Rodriguez
It is expected that James, a teammate of Bayern Lewandowski, will return to the Colombia lineup. Although Juan Quintero scored as his replacement the last time, the presence of the attacker owned by Real Madrid was clearly missed. His office makes Colombia a completely different proposal.
MAIN OPTA FACTS
- Only once before, Colombia lost its first two matches in a World Cup tournament, and it did against Romania and the United States team in 1994.
- Poland have not managed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine World Cup matches, since they defeated Portugal 1-0 in 1986.
- Despite not scoring against Senegal in the opening game of Poland, Lewandowski has scored 21 goals in his last 16 appearances for his national team.
- Quintero became the first Colombian player to score in two World Cup tournaments (2014 and '18) in the first loss to Japan.
