Poland vs Colombia: Radamel Falcao scores first World Cup goal to end Polish hopes of reaching last 16

How is it possible to go from that, to this? Poland lost only one of ten qualifiers playing with a verve that – almost – justified their position as seeds for this tournament. They had the top scorer in European qualifying in Robert Lewandowski. So high were hopes at home that qualifiers in Warsaw could have been sold out four times over.

And yet their World Cup is over after two games, the sense of purpose that had characterised them over the past two years a distant memory.

The concern in Poland was that this side may have peaked a year too early and there has been little in the two games so far to suggest that fear was unjustified. Poland have been heavy-limbed and unimaginative throughout, even the switch to back three suggesting Adam Nawalka had lost faith in the system that took them through qualifying so impressively.

Just as Lionel Messi bears the brunt of the criticism for Argentina’s struggles, so Lewandowski will be blamed for Poland’s exit. It’s never entirely fair to lay the responsibility on one man, but it’s equally true that Lewandowski has barely been a factor in this tournament. Just before the hour there was, at last, a glimpse of the true Lewandowski as he plucked a long ball over the top from the air, but was denied by David Ospina’s charge from his line.

His form had taken a downturn at Bayern Munich over the past couple of months and there has been no recovery. But equally, there has not been much in the way of service.

The Dortmund-formed axis of Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blasczykowski on the right that had been fruitful had begun to look so stale that Nawalka broke it up here, leaving out the winger as part of the change of shape – although they may in art have been conditioned by the injury that forced him off at half-time in the defeat to Japan.

Both coaches had taken dramatic action after opening defeats, making four changes each – although in Jose Pekerman’s case that was partly conditioned by the return to full fitness of James Rodriguez and the unavailability through suspension of Carlos Sanchez, whose early red card had shaped the dynamic of the defeat to Japan.

Perhaps it was coincidence that two Colombia players were trodden on in the opening ten minutes, but that set the tone for an uncompromising contest the Mexican referee Cesar Ramos seemed to have no desire to bring under control. The casualty was Abel Aguilar, stretchered off after 32 minutes, meaning Colombia were without their two first-choice holding midfielders.

But what they did have was Juan Quintero and Rodriguez, a pair of very different number 10s. Orthodox thought doubted they could play together and perhaps against better opponents they will find it difficult, but here their relationship almost visibly developed as the game went on.

It was Juan Cuadrado’s incursions behind Maciej Rybus that initiated the Colombia surge before half-time – in retrospect, playing a wing-back against a wide forward of such pace and directness looks optimistic – but it was Quintero with a smart reverse pass and Rodriguez with a perfectly shaped cross who carved the opener for Yerry Mina, one of those players who had felt the impact of Polish studs early on, to head in five minutes before half-time.

Poland’s respone merely opened them up to the incisiveness of Colombia’s pair of 10s. Quintero laid on Radamel Falcao for the second after 70 minute and then Rodriguez, with a glorious pass, set up the third for Cuadrado.

Colombia will probably still have to beat Senegal to reach the last 16, but at least they have the opportunity. Poland, again, are left with the bitter memories of lost hope.