Colombia top Group K after goalless draw with Portugal in Miami

MIAMI: Colombia and Portugal both moved into the World Cup last 32 after an eventful 0-0 draw at Miami Stadium on Saturday, finishing as the top two teams in Group K.

Colombia ended the group stage in first place and will travel to Kansas City to face Ghana on Friday. Portugal, who needed a victory to finish top, instead advanced in second place and will play Croatia in Toronto on Thursday.

The match finished without a goal but produced chances at both ends in front of a crowd of 64,478 in the Miami heat. Colombia were the more threatening side for long spells and had reason to regret missed opportunities against their European opponents.

The South American side started brightly, with Jhon Cordoba heading over in the opening minute. Jhon Arias remained a persistent problem for Portugal and set up Cordoba in the 17th minute, only for goalkeeper Diogo Costa to keep out the striker's powerful effort.

Five minutes later, Colombia put together another flowing move before Arias aimed a shot towards the far corner, but Ruben Neves got back in time to clear the ball off the line.

Portugal's best moments in the first half came after Colombia struggled at times to deal with the ball at the back. Bruno Fernandes forced Camilo Vargas into a sharp save from close range in the 39th minute, and shortly before the interval Joao Felix controlled the ball over a defender before sending an acrobatic volley over the crossbar.

Colombia still continued to create openings before halftime, with Gustavo Puerta and James Rodriguez both testing Costa.

After the break, Portugal became more adventurous, but Colombia continued to fashion the clearer chances. Arias created an opening for substitute Richard Rios, whose effort went wide, then had a curling attempt saved by Costa. Puerta also sent another chance off target shortly before the hydration break.

Rodriguez saw a volley diverted away from goal in the 73rd minute before he and Arias were taken off, but Colombia kept pushing forward. Davinson Sanchez appeared to have won the game in the 89th minute with a header at the far post, only for the goal to be ruled out for a very tight offside following a VAR review.

Portugal nearly snatched victory in stoppage time when Rafael Leao fired a shot across goal. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, struggled to make an impact. He was booed whenever he touched the ball and received little service, with his only effort on target coming from a long-range free kick that went straight to the goalkeeper.

The result means Colombia go into the knockout stage as Group K winners, while Portugal advance still searching for a way to turn their individual quality into a more cohesive side.