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Colombia remembers Andres Escobar

Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the death of Colombia’s Andres Escobar, who was shot six times outside a bar in Medellin.

Escobar was part of the 1994 Colombia side which were knocked out of the group stage in 1994. It was Escobar’s own-goal in the 1-0 defeat to the United States which essentially sealed their dismissal in the tournament and it is believed that was the reason behind his death. 

Colombia face Brazil tomorrow in the World Cup quarter-finals, the first time the side have reached this far in the tournament, and while it is a subject that the team do not want to talk about, it is difficult to ignore.

“One should not think about bad things in positive moments,” the former Colombia defender Jorge Bermudez said earlier this week.

“But we will never stop thinking about him or feeling that he is one of our own. Every Colombia triumph will also be, in some way, his.”

A Twitter campaign under the hashtags #football2me and #AndresEscobar has taken off with fans leaving positive messages to the side ahead of the big clash tomorrow.

Escobar, who would have turned 47 in March, captained the side in 1994 and after their elimination wrote in a newspaper: “Life doesn’t end here. We have to go on. Life cannot end here. No matter how difficult, we must stand back up.

“We only have two options: either allow anger to paralyse us and the violence continues, or we overcome and try our best to help others. 

“It’s our choice. Let us please maintain respect. My warmest regards to everyone. It’s been a most amazing and rare experience. We’ll see each other again soon because life does not end here.”

It is a fitting message to the 2014 side as they attempt to overcome the odds and beat the hosts.

James Rodriguez is key to that and will have to be at his best again for them to stop Neymar and reach the semi-finals.

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