Poland have been eliminated from the World Cup after just two games in group H after falling to a 3-0 defeat to Colombia at the Kazan Arena on Sunday evening.
Both sides came into the game knowing that a defeat for either would spell the end of their World Cup chances and that showed early on but Colombia finally took the lead in the 40th minute through a Yerry Mina header.
Further goals in the second half from Radamel Falcao and Juan Guadrado sealed the convincing win for La Tricolor which keeps them in the hunt to qualify with one game to go, while Poland are out with a game to go much to the disappointment of the whole country.
Slow start to proceedings in Kazan
You could tell at the start of the game that both sides knew how big of a game this was given how results have gone in the group to date and that resulted in both sides being very cautious.
This was the case for the first 20 minutes of the game until Colombia started to get their passing game together but the only thing letting them down was their final pass.
You could see though that Colombia were much more up for the game and they almost took the lead when Cuadrado dribbled passed four separate defenders before seeing his goalbound shot well-saved by Wojciech Szczęsny, who got down well to keep the ball out of the net.
Mina headed La Tricolor into the lead five minutes before half-time
As the half wore on, Poland dropped deeper and deeper as they couldn't get hold of the ball at all and the pressure finally told as La Tricolor took the lead five minutes before half-time.
The goal was created by a great cross from James Rodríguez, who found Mina unmarked at the back post to head home to give the Colombians a well-deserved lead.
Poland tried to hit back before half-time, but they just couldn't get going, as their talisman Robert Lewandowski hardly had a touch of the ball throughout the first half, but they went in at the break only one goal down, knowing they had to get back in the game in the second half or else they would be out of the World Cup after just two games.
Ospina denied Lewandowski early in the second half
It showed after the break that Poland knew they had to get back into the game and they had to chance to equalise when a great ball forward from Jan Bednarek found Lewandowski, who was baring down on goal, but he saw his goalbound shot brilliantly saved by David Ospina.
Poland continued to throw bodies forward in search of the equaliser and this meant that they left themselves open to the counter attack and Colombia took advantage of this by scoring two goals in five minutes to end Poland's chances in the game.
Two goals in five minutes for La Tricolor ended the game as a contest
The first goal came when a through pass from Juan Quintero found Falcao in on goal and the veteran striker stroked the ball home into the back of the net to score the all-important second goal of the game.
The next goal was even better though as a brilliant long through pass from Rodriguez found Guadrado through on goal and he confidently curled the ball home leaving Szczęsny with no chance of makign a save.
After making it 3-0, though, the Colombians took their foot off the pedal and that allowed Poland to have more of the ball but they only created one big chance to get a goal back.
Ospina once again denies Poland
This fell the way of Grzegorz Krychowiak, who found the ball at his feet following a corner, but once again Ospina was quick off his line to block the midfielders goalbound shot.
The Polish players kept trying their best but it wasn't enough as Colombia held on for a very important three points to keep their hopes alive, while ending Poland's chances at this World Cup with one game to spare in group H.