SOCCER: Daniel Munoz, the unexpected hero behind Colombia's qualification

Right-back Daniel Munoz emerged on Tuesday as the unexpected hero of Colombia's national team, scoring a dramatic late goal that secured victory and qualification for the Coffee Growers in the World Cup Round of 32.

While all eyes were on Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz and Minnesota United midfielder James Rodriguez, it was Munoz who stepped up to give Colombia a 1-0 win over DR Congo, adding to his goal in Colombia's victory against Uzbekistan.

The Crystal Palace player initially put the ball in DR Congo's net in the eighth minute, but after a VAR review, Italian referee Maurizio Mariani ruled him offside and disallowed the goal.

Nearly 70 minutes passed before a superb pass from Juan Fernando Quintero reached Munoz who finally broke through the resolute defense put up by goalkeeper Lionnel Mpasi.

After being named Player of the Match, Munoz sought to temper the well-deserved accolades.

"Just because I scored the goal doesn't mean I'm the star. We're all the stars. We all earned these three points. This is a family, and here, the star is Colombia," Munoz said after the match.

"The effort of the entire team deserves recognition. Nothing is easy; nobody is getting anything for free," he said.

In Colombia's first match last week, Munoz paved the way to victory by slipping into the Uzbekistan penalty area in the 40th minute to score the opening goal of a contest that ended 3-1.

The defender already knows what it is like to score for the national team. In the 2024 Copa America, where Colombia finished runners-up, he netted two goals to end the tournament as one of Colombia's top goalscorers. Tuesday's goal takes his overall tally to five in 46 appearances.

A fast-paced player, Munoz operates along the right flank and is not only an effective finisher but also a prolific provider. During his four seasons with Genk in Belgium, he played in a more offensive role and scored 19 goals and provided 20 assists.

Since arriving at Crystal Palace in the English Premier League in 2023, Munoz has scored 11 goals and provided 16 assists.

-Reporting by Diego Ore; Editing by Christopher Cushing/Reuters