2014 FIFA World Cup: Brazil vs Colombia - As it happened

Zee Media Bureau/Dattaraj Thaly

Hosts Brazil beat Colombia 2-1 to reach the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They will take on Germany in the semi-final, a match that promises to be a cracking affair. The Selecao beat Colombia thanks two goals from central defensive pairing of Thiago Silva and David Luiz in either half. James Rodriguez pulled one back for Colombia but the hosts managed to hold on for the win. MATCH REPORT» OUR FULL COVERAGE ON WORLD CUP 2014» Fixtures & Results» FULL TIME: Brazil 2-1 Colombia 90+4' - Zuniga is blocked off by Hernazez. Free-kick to Colombia. Their goalkeeper comes forward as well. This is their last opportunity. 90+3' - James' corner is met by Ramos with a glancing header. His effort misses the mark not by a big distance. The crowd lets in a sigh of relief. 90+1' - Baca twists and turns, trying to make his way into past the Brazil defense. Luiz and Silva make sure he does not get past them. 90' - 5 MINUTES ADDED ON! 87' - Zúñiga collided with Neymar and used his hand to push the Brazilian to the floor. Neymar immediately went down holding his back. He stayed down and the medical staff took him off the pitch on a stretcher. This is bad news for Scolari who substitutes Neymar. 85' - Paulinho comes off for Brazil and the deep-lying playmaker Hernanez comes on. 84' - Colombia on the break have 4 men forward but Armero is offside on the left. That was lazy from him. 81' - Scolari takes Hulk off for Ramires. 79' - GOAL! James Rodriguez James smashes the penalty to the right of Cesar. Never in doubt from the tournaments leading scorer. He now has 6 goals. Colombia are right back into this match. 78' - James Rodriguez to take it. Drama at Fortaleza! 77' - PENALTY TO COLOMBIA James slipped in a ball to Baca who got to the ball before Cesar. The goalkeeper clearly got the man and not the ball as he made the tackle. 76' - Yepes make a superb tackle on Neymar just on the edge of the box. He had to get that absolutely right and he did. 75' - Just 15 minutes to go before we reach the end of this match. As things stand, we have a Brazil vs Germany semi-final. 70' - Even sprint legend Usain Bolt enjoyed that. He has just tweeted:

Poetry in motion..Brilliant #BRAvsCOL #luiz

— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) July 4, 2014

68' - GOAL! DAVID LUIZ David Luiz whizzes one straight into the top corner of Ospina's net who had no chance of keeping that ball out despite a full length dive. What a free-kick from the PSG man. He was so confident about taking it that not even Neymar was standing around the ball. What a hit! 67' - James gets a yellow card for his sliding challenge on Hulk who was approaching the penalty box with speed. Free-kick to Brazil. David Luiz to take it. 65' - Thiago Silva will miss the semi-final against Germany if Brazil go through. He has accumulated the maximum yellow cards to initiate a suspension. This will be a big miss for Brazil. Scolari shakes his head on the sidelines. 64' - Neymar's kick is easily collected by by Ospina who wants to quickly set up a counter with his long kick. But Silva blocks his kick in mid-air. Ref blows a whistle for obstruction of play. Yellow card to Silva. 62' - Neymar moves forward with the ball but he is clattered into by Cuadrado. Free-kick to Brazil, which Neymar will take. 60' - James's free-kick is not confidently defended by Brazil. The ball bounces around in their penalty bx before it is finally cleared. 58' - Finally Colombia have managed to put sustained pressure on this Brazil defense. They do have goals in them but need to make the most of even half chances. 56' - Silva clatters into Armero from the back. He completely took off the Colombian's legs. Free-kick. 54' - The second half has been more subdued as compared to the first half, which was end to end stuff. Both teams seems to have dropped the pace of the game during this half. 51' - Maicon is fouled deep inside the Colombia half. Neymar takes the free-kick that does not threaten Ospina in goal. 50' - James with a lovely turn to leave his marker. But he selects the wrong option to pass. Cuadrado was screaming for the ball on the right but James opted for Ramos. But the ball was easily cut out. 47' - Maicon fouls James early in the second half. James need to get more often on the ball in this half. 47' - Colombia have made one change at the break. Víctor Ibarbo has been taken off for A. Ramos. 46' - The second half is underway. Players make their way out for the second half. Brazil get into a huddle as the captain gives them their dose of motivation and instructions. It has been all Brazil in Fortaleza. Thiago Silva's 7th minute goal gives them the lead as they head into the break. Colombia and James have not really threatened Julio Cesar in the Brazil goal. HALF TIME: Brazil 1-0 Colombia 45' - 1 MINUTED ADDED ON! 43' - Neymar's free-kick goes over the bar as he cannot get the ball to bend enough. 42' - Neymar is fouled just outside the box. He will take the free-kick. The country expects. 40' - We have reached the 40 minute mark and the game has gone as per script for Brazil. They have gone on the offensive from the very first minute of this match. 38' - Brazil on the attack have plenty of bodies forward. Hulk has the ball in the penalty box and Marcelo zooms ahead on the overlap. But Hulk ignores him, does a shimmy on his marker and blasts a wayward shot into the crowd. 37' - Paulinho with ball, tries to burst forward, but Zapata illegally brings him down. 36' - James takes it but Neymar was out of the wall in a flash and blocked the free-kick. 35' - Fernandinho raises a high boot in his challenge of Ibarbo. Free-kick to Colombia in a dangerous position. Four players stand over it, James and Caudrado included. 33' - Neymar's corner is flicked by Fernandinho at the near post. But his effort is wide. 32' - Maicon chases a through ball by Neymar and wins a corner of Ibarbo. 30' - All of Colombia's goal-kick's are not being taken by Ospina. Zapata has been taking them instead. Seems to be some problem with Ospina's kicking leg. 28' - This game is being played at a frantic pace. Both teams are prancing up and down the pitch in attack. 27 - HULKKKKK.....SAVED! Marcelo's low cross is well controlled by Hulk, he takes a touch and fires a low drive with his foot. But Ospina comes up with a smart save. 26' - Hulka slips the ball through for Marcelo who was bombing forward. The left back blasts a shot that takes a deflection of Fred and goes out for a goal-kick. 23' - James has shown some glimpses of his brilliance already. That is encouraging for Colombia but their defending has been shocking. They have not recovered from the early Silva goal. 21' - James with a brilliant run from the middle of the park right to the heart of the Brazil defense beating 2 players has 3 other players on the break. He plays the ball to the right but the winger squanders the opportunity with an errant cross that was easily cut out. 19' - Neymar with a lovely threaded ball to Hulk from the left had him fire a shot from close range with his left foot. Ospina makes the save to deny Hulk his first World Cup goal. But the danger is not over. Oscar has the ball and tries his luck from outside the box. Ospina collects easily. 16' - Neymar's corner was partially cleared by Colombia. Cuardrado instead of clearing the ball, tried to beat Hulk, who pinched the ball off him and burst in the box to deliver the cross. Luiz tried to get on the end of his cross but Yepes cleared the danger. 14' - Neymar seems to be falling deep to pick up the ball. He has been doing that on several occasions. Either he is consciously doing that may not be getting the service he wants. 13' - Rodriguez is quick on his feet and releases the ball before Fernandinho clatters into him inside the Colombian half. Free-kick given. 10' - Cuadrado with left footed drive from the edge of the box. His shot takes a slight deflection of Silva and just misses the goal on its way out for a corner. 9' - Guarin takes a free-kick for Colombia. He goes for goal from a long distance but his effort is well over the crossbar. 6' - GOAL! THIAGO SILVA Neymar's corner is missed by Luiz and Yepes but Silva comes in at the back post and taps the ball in for a easy goal. The stadium erupts! 5' - Fernandinho puts a ball forward to Neymar with the outside of his foot. Neymar chases it with Zapata, who concedes the corner. 4' - Neymar's free-kick beats the wall but goes off the mark as Ospina watches it go out of play. 3' - Free-kick to Brazil. Neymar stands over it. So do Hulk and David Luiz 2' - Paulinho tried to race to the byline and get his cross in but Yepes got in the sliding tackle to prevent it. 1' - Here we go. Brazil in yellow and Colombia in red. Time for the national anthems of both countries. The crowd is fired up. Team line-ups for the match have been announced: Brazil: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Fernandinho, Paulinho; Hulk, Oscar, Neymar; Fred Colombia: Ospina, Zapata, Yepes, Armero, Zúñiga; Sánchez, Guarín, Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Ibarbo, Gutierrez Welcome to our live coverage of the second quarter-final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup between hosts Brazil and Colombia at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza. Brazil struggled to get past a spirited Chile side in the round of 16. They have to go through the horror of a penalty shootout to win their place in the last 8. Colombia cruised past an Uruguay side without Luis Suarez thanks to some individual brilliance by James Rodriguez. Brazil are up for a tough contest today against Pekerman`s Colombia who have won all of their matches in the tournament. They have exhibited a refreshing brand of football and the absence of Radamel Falcao has not bothered them. Apart from Neymar, Brazil are struggling to bring out big performances from their key players. Hulk and Fred have been poor and the only support for Neymar has come come Oscar. Their defense was not been confident defending long balls.