He's their talisman and centre-forward, but is Radamel Falcao holding back Colombia from evolving?
Venezuela overcame a stiff, disappointing Colombian side that was the opposite of everything that made neutrals fall in love with him last summer.
Colombia, so vibrant and exciting on Brazilian soil were flat and uninspiring on Chilean turf. Rigid but not solid. Organised but not effective.
12 months ago, roared on by north of 100,000 fans that had crossed a continent to see their team return to world football's biggest stage, Colombia lit up the tournament.
In pictures: Colombia 3-0 Greece
Yet in reality their success had been a contingency plan.
Having smashed their way through qualifying with an attacking 4-2-2-2, their best player and talisman, Radamel Falcao, injured himself playing for Monaco against an amateur side. It would ultimately rule him out of the World Cup itself and its long-term effects are still uncertain. The only thing we know is that, thus far, he simply hasn't been the same player as before.
But we digress. Jose Pekerman, Colombia's wily old coach, was faced with a dilemma in the absence of his star man and opted for a change of shape. The original 4-2-2-2, which gave Falcao the partner Pekerman thought he needed to perform, put undue pressure on the central midfield and defence of his side, but they had solidity and experience in those positions and boasted the stingiest backline in South American qualifying (13 goals in 16 games).
Lars Baron - FIFA 
A switch to 4-2-3-1 meant they were better protected in central midfield - their weakest area - and it also allowed James Rodriguez to assume his natural number 10 role. It also helped get the most out of their attacking full-backs, who helped to create overlaps and double-teams in wide areas without exposing the previously soft underbelly of their side. Rodriguez's form at the heart of the new-look side exploded and the rest is history. It was a Plan B, but it took them to the World Cup quarter-finals and could have seen them go further.
So the question going forward was whether it would become a Plan A. The answer: an emphatic no.
Falcao would have a new partner, Carlos Bacca preferred to Teo Gutierrez, but he would still have one. 4-2-3-1 was back on the shelf.
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James Rodriguez, shunted back out wide, failed to have an influence, Falcao looked immobile and forlorn leading the attack and the Colombians simply couldn't control the midfield. They probably would have been fine had their new first-choice defensive partnership not come up against a physical bully like Salomon Rondón - who kept them busy all afternoon and then punished them with the winning goal.
But had they squeaked a result then it only would have masked the real problem, a poor performance and a system that may no longer be the best for this side. Having seen what they are capable of, this was a pale imitation and it throws into doubt Falcao's position in the team.
Or at least it should. Every indication we have had throughout Pekerman's reign, including the selection on Sunday, is that he's not yet ready to let Falcao go. A monumental figure in the changing room, Pek simply can't bring himself to drop a striker who was, for a couple of years at least, the best in the world at his position.
In pictures: Colombia 0-1 Venezuela
Their next game comes against Brazil, the team that eliminated them after their golden World Cup run. Should they stick to their guns, the fear is that they will be blasted away by a Brazilian side replete with attacking options and topped off by the irrepressible Neymar.
Losing two games is not fatal to your chances of progression in the Copa as it is in other tournaments, but there is still the feeling that Colombia may need to backwards in time if they are to move forwards again.