Colombia Comes Back to Defeat the USA at Craven Cottage

An engrossing international friendly Friday ended in a comeback triumph for Colombia over the USA at Craven Cottage. Jozy Altidore opened the scoring for the Americans in the tenth minute from the penalty spot. Former West Ham United player Pablo Armero handled in the penalty area (although after a significant push from US striker Rubio Rubin) and Altidore placed the ball just over the Colombian keeper to make it 1-0. The relatively small American contingent cheered from their small enclave in the Hammersmith End. However, a strong Colombian team featuring World Cup stars James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado equalized on the hour mark through Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca. He swept home into an open goal after rounding Brad Guzan, but Teo Gutierrez was in an offside position, and could easily been interpreted as impeding the play. Regardless, the goal stood and Gutierrez himself headed the winner three minutes from time and the majority Colombian crowd burst into joy.

The match finished 2-1, and the world number three just edged out the USA. From a Fulham perspective, Emerson Hyndman was conspicuously absent from the lineup. In a match were Jurgen Klinsmann brought a sophomore in college (Jordan Morris) to London and a player who hadn't been capped in seven years (Lee Nguyen), it seemed like the perfect stage to hand Hyndman a start or even a role off the bench at his home stadium. However, Hyndman was in action for the under 20's instead, as he was sent off in the USA's 4-3 win over Russia.

Overall, it was nice to see Craven Cottage being used for more international friendlies, building on the matchups between Scotland and Nigeria, and Italy and Ireland in the past year. It was great to see the Cottage getting the worldwide recognition it deserves as one of the best grounds in England, and providing a glimpse of old fashioned football with its wooden seats and intimate atmosphere. Unfortunately Fulham's own American Emerson Hyndman couldn't feature, but the relationship between the USMNT and Fulham has been rekindled; to the benefit of both institutions.