When you have James Rodriguez for company

Moscow: Reporters some time get seats nearest to the ground at the 2018 World Cup. Ahead of the Colombia-England last 16 match at the Spartak Stadium on Tuesday, one section of the media row right in front of the pitch had been cordoned off. When a group of VIPs occupied the reserved seats, jaws dropped in the media section. What else could you do when Colombian superstar James Rodriguez watches the match with you?

A calf problem had ruled Rodriguez out the game and he was accompanied by his team-mate Miguel Borja, another injury victim. Former Argentina player Esteban Cambiasso, now an assistant to Colombia coach Jose Pekerman, was also in the group.

The sensational goal Rodriguez scored against Uruguay at the Maracana was one of the highlights of the 2014 World Cup. It was this reporter's enduring memory of the tournament in Brazil. The goal was poetry in motion as Rodriguez received the ball on the chest with his back to goal outside the box before swivelling to blast the ball in with a majestic swing of his left foot. It was a divine goal at the cathedral of Brazilian football.

Watching a World Cup match right behind one of your football heroes doesn't happen every other day. The match was a bore and tracking the moves of Rodriguez was infinitely more interesting. The baby-faced Rodriguez didn't wear his emotions on his sleeve but he must have been gutted at missing Colombia's first knock-out match in Russia. Although he had not been completely fit for the World Cup here, the midfielder demonstrated his magic with two exquisite assists in a 3-0 demolition of Poland in the group stage. He is a genius. In seven starts over two World Cups, he has scored six goals and set up four for Colombia. Taking the field against England without Rodriguez was akin to trying to fly abroad without a passport.

When his team-mates suffered and celebrated on the field, Rodriguez did, too, off it. When the referee punished a Colombian foul, he was up on his feet to berate him. An unpunished English foul evoked the same response. At times, Cambiasso and another team official had to force him to sit down.

Without his inspirational presence, Colombia struggled to breach England's defence. He urged his team-mates on with vociferous comments and animated gestures when they came towards his side for a throw-in. His joy knew no bounds when Yerry Mina scored a late, late equaliser as he hugged the two people to his left.

In the end, however, England prevailed on penalties. It is not known whether Rodriguez would have played in the quarter-final had Colombia advanced but England wouldn't have progressed had he played against them.

A brave journalist mounted a futile attempt for a selfie with Rodriguez, yours truly didn't need one because the Colombian had gifted him an indelible image on a glorious night at the Maracana four years ago.