A Luis Suárez-less Uruguay will take on an exciting Colombian team looking to verify why it was a force to be reckoned with in CONMEBOL qualifying, finishing just two points behind Argentina.

To say that Uruguay will miss Suárez goes without saying, but even if Uruguay had his presence this side has plenty of flaws that leaves it a fraction of the glow and glory from 2010. Diego Forlán has faded as the nucleus of the team and Diego Lugano lost the sparkle he had as captain four years ago when Uruguay reached the semi-final. The only saving grace that Uruguay have going for it is an Edinson Cavani that can still use for height and movement to his advantage, when played into the right space, and a Diego Godín that completed a very commendable season for Atlético Madrid.

Colombia may have had the easier route via Group C with Greece, Japan and, Côte d’Ivoire, but it has been a great coming-out party for James Rodríguez, who will surely move on from AS Monaco once this World Cup is finished. The youth of Colombia will show clearly in a game that is doubtful to go into extra time. Jackson Martínez will be expected to be more refined in his finishing abilities, which so far has been a crapshoot, and Juan Guillermo Cuadrado should control and command the midfield and wings, especially if Uruguay cannot keep up with his speed and decides to fall back on playing a physical game.

Colombia should find its way onto the quarterfinal and probably give an exhausted and unexceptional Brazil their plane tickets home (to Brazil) after Chile failed to find the back of the net enough times in their penalty shootout to finish the job.

Prediction: Colombia 2 — Uruguay 0, with Player of the Match: Cuadrado (#COL).