Muñoz the Hero as Colombia Edge Congo DR into the Round of 32

ZAPOPAN, Mexico — For 76 minutes, this had the makings of one of the great goalkeeping nights — a one-man wall standing between Colombia and the goal their dominance demanded. Then Daniel Muñoz, a defender by trade, did what a procession of his attacking teammates could not. His strike from the right side of the penalty area finally beat the inspired Lionel Mpasi, firing Colombia to a 1-0 win over Congo DR and into the World Cup round of 32. It was scrappy, it was deflected, and it was utterly decisive.

The result moved Colombia to six points from two matches and guaranteed their progress to the knockout stage ahead of their final group game against Portugal, with Néstor Lorenzo's side sitting top of Group K. For long stretches in Zapopan, though, qualification looked like it might have to wait.

Mpasi's masterclass

If Colombia were the hero's story, Congo DR's goalkeeper was the night's leading man for an hour and a quarter. Despite a superlative performance from Congo custodian Lionel Mpasi, who made eight saves in the match, Colombia managed to eke out the victory. The 31-year-old, France-born shot-stopper turned the contest into a personal showcase.

The numbers tell the story of a siege. Colombia dominated the first half with 14 shots but failed to break the deadlock, thanks to Mpasi's heroics, and the goalkeeper's early flurry was historic in its own right. Mpasi made five saves in the opening 20 minutes — the most by any goalkeeper in the first 20 minutes of a World Cup match in the available records.

He repelled everything Colombia threw at him. James Rodriguez forced Mpasi into action with a powerful strike in the 11th minute, before the goalkeeper stood firm against Jhon Arias and Luis Diaz, who came close in the 18th minute by controlling a chipped pass, turning smartly and firing goalwards, only to be denied by Mpasi's foot. By the interval, the picture was lopsided. Colombia had registered 15 shots, including six on target, with nine of their 10 outfield players attempting efforts.

The deflection that broke the deadlock

In the end, it took a cruel slice of fortune to undo Mpasi's resistance. Muñoz, who had missed a golden opportunity in the first half, made amends with a low shot that deflected off Steve Kapuadi and wrong-footed the goalkeeper for what proved the winner. After good hold-up play on the edge of the box by Córdoba, the Crystal Palace right-back's effort took a big deflection that left Mpasi stranded — a goal that owed as much to luck as to persistence.

The timing was significant for a team unaccustomed to stalemates. Colombia had never drawn a match in their previous 23 World Cup games, but a goalless result seemed possible with just 15 minutes left before Muñoz's strike changed the course of the night. It was also a personal milestone of sorts for the defender. It was Muñoz's second goal for Colombia in less than a week.

There was nearly a second. Diaz thought he had doubled the advantage with a finish into the top corner, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside — a call replays confirmed was correct.

Congo DR's missed moment

For all that they were largely on the back foot, Congo DR were not without their own opening — and a different bounce might have changed everything. Yoane Wissa almost snatched the lead in the 73rd minute, when his shot from Simon Banza's assist was blocked, but Colombia struck shortly after through Muñoz.

Buoyed by their opening-game point against Portugal, the African side carried a threat without ever truly testing the Colombian goalkeeper. Edo Kayembe, Cedric Bakambu and Wissa threatened sporadically, but the side lacked a clinical finish. Colombia's late defending, marshaled by goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, held firm against a closing push.

A record-equalling night for James

Amid the team's progress, one of Colombia's elder statesmen quietly etched his name further into the country's history. James Rodriguez made his 10th World Cup appearance, equalling the Colombian record jointly held by Freddy Rincon and Carlos Valderrama. It was the playmaker, fittingly, who had drawn the first meaningful save from Mpasi.

The win also underlined Colombia's strong start in a broader historical context. According to Opta, Colombia have won their first two matches at a World Cup for only the second time, the other being in 2014, when they recorded their best finish by reaching the quarter-finals. The parallels with that golden run will not be lost on a hopeful nation.

What it means: Colombia through, Congo DR still alive

The victory was emphatic in the standings if not in style. Colombia top Group K and now need only to avoid defeat against Portugal to secure first place. Their command of the contest was reflected in the wider numbers. From 20 attempts they recorded nine shots on target, enjoyed 66% possession, and completed 506 passes at 88% accuracy, against Congo DR's 281 passes.

Congo DR, meanwhile, leave with their fate still in their own hands. They remain third with one point from two games and can still qualify should they beat Uzbekistan in their final match. And in Mpasi, they may have unearthed a goalkeeper capable of troubling anyone left in the draw. Should England end up facing Congo DR in the round of 32, they will need their shooting boots — Mpasi was in inspired form, and you wonder whether Colombia would have beaten him at all but for that crucial, cruel deflection.

For Colombia, the manner mattered less than the outcome. They had been frustrated, tested and very nearly held — and still found a way through. On a night when one goalkeeper threatened to write the story himself, it was an unlikely hero in Daniel Muñoz who took the pen back.