Rodriguez double puts Colombia into World Cup quarter-finals

The goals in each half take Rodriguez to five in four games to make the 22-year-old Monaco striker the tournament's leading scorer while Colombia are in the last eight for the first time.

Rodriguez's first in the 28th minute was a stunning left-foot volley from outside the box, while he finished from close range five minutes after the break after a well-worked move.

It spelled the end of the tournament for a Uruguay side that had beaten England and Italy but now join their banned striker Luis Suarez back home.

All the talk beforehand was of Suarez whose absence following his lengthy biting ban had overshadowed the game.

Now the limelight falls on Rodriguez as Colombia chalked up a fourth successive win at the tournament, with the striker going ahead of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Thomas Mueller in the scorers' charts.

His first goal may well be the best of the tournament. Taking the ball on his chest, he turned some 25 metres out to strike the ball in off the underside of the bar - becoming the first player to score in the first four games of a World Cup since Ronaldo and Rivaldo for Brazil in 2002.

The second was more prosaic but just as pleasing after Juan Cuadrado headed a cross from the left from Pablo Armero into the centre and Rodriguez swept the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box.

As expected veteran striker Diego Forlan came in for Suarez against a Colombia side unbeaten in their last 10 games - since losing to La Celeste win Montevideo back in September 2013.

Forlan was industrious, often dropping deep to link play, with Edinson Cavani prowling ahead, but Uruguay - returning to the Maracana, the scene of their greatest triumph, a 2-1 win over Brazil in the final game of the 1950 World Cup - could not match Colombia for enterprise.

Cavani had shot blocked after he delayed an opportunity to shoot first time with his right foot, and Alvaro Gonzalez had a shot parried by keeper David Ospina but Cavani was offside as Uruguay responded well to going behind.

But there was no coming back after Los Cafeteros grabbed their second, although Ospina was kept busy saving from Christian Rodriguez, Maxi Pereira and Cavani as Uruguay intensified the pressure towards the end.

Colombia now travel to Fortaleza to take on Brazil and on the evidence of this display have justified hopes of continuing their run into the last four.