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Daniel Muñoz scored the only goal of the match in the 76th minute to secure the victory for Colombia over DR Congo by 1-0 in the second round of the , held on Tuesday, June 23, at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
With this result, the coffee selection accumulates 6 points in two matches and qualifies early for the round of 32 as the undisputed leader of the group, according to the .
Colombia exerted a commanding dominance throughout the ninety minutes, although it struggled to break through the Congolese defense until well into the second half. The statistics speak for themselves: 64% possession compared to the Democratic Republic of the Congo's 36%, 19 shots against just five, and nine attempts on target compared to none from the opponent.
The standout offensive player of the night was Luis Díaz, who came close to scoring on two different occasions. However, both of his goals were disallowed: the first due to a foul earlier in the play, and the second for offside after a pass from Jefferson Lerma. As noted by Revista Semana, "Luis Díaz had two goals disallowed in two minutes against the DR Congo."
It was Muñoz, the right-back of the English Crystal Palace, who solved the match with a precise shot in the 76th minute. The goal against the Congolese team was his second in the tournament: he had already scored against Uzbekistan in the 41st minute of the first matchday, when Colombia triumphed 3-1 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with goals also from Díaz and Jáminton Campaz.
In terms of discipline, Jhon Lucumí received a yellow card in the 56th minute, the only caution of the match. Despite committing 14 fouls compared to Colombia's 11, the DR Congo ended the game without any cards.
Regarding the substitutions on the bench, Colombia made three strategic changes: Luis Suárez and James Rodríguez left the field together in the 58th minute to make way for Córdoba and Quintero, respectively. One minute after the goal, Ríos replaced Arias to help manage the lead in the final stretch.
The DRC also made changes in an attempt to turn the score around, with up to five substitutions throughout the match, including Banza coming on for Bakambu in the 57th minute and Mbuku replacing Moutoussamy in the 82nd minute, yet none altered the outcome.
After this second matchday, the Group K table is led by Colombia with 6 points and a goal difference of +3. Portugal occupies the second position with 4 points and a goal difference of +5, following their 5-0 victory against Uzbekistan at the NRG Stadium in Houston on the same date. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has 1 point —the result of a 1-1 draw against Portugal in the first matchday— and Uzbekistan sits at the bottom of the table with 0 points, with both teams effectively eliminated from the tournament.
The group finale will take place on Saturday, June 27: Colombia will face Portugal at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan will meet at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
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