Colombia beat Uruguay 1-0 to book a place in the 2024 Copa América final in a dramatic affair that was perhaps the most entertaining game of the whole tournament.
Messi and Argentina wait for Colombia in Miami. This Sunday will be the first major final the Cafeteros have played in since they won the Copa at home in 2001.
What a half of football the first period of this game was. A goal, an injury and of course some red card drama were all on the menu in the first 45 minutes of this semifinal.
Colombia came out of the blocks firing, like they have done all tournament, but at times their pressing game left them way too open at the back, and Liverpool forward Darwin Nuñez had some fantastic chances. He took advantage of the space behind the Colombia defence, but he failed to convert on various occasions.
Daniel Muñoz was menacing down the right flank for Colombia, and had a good header at goal bounce just wide. Richard Rios had a decent strike saved and striker Jhon Córdoba scuffed at another effort. They went into the break 1-0 up thanks to a Jefferson Lerma header from a fine James Rodríguez corner, a deserved goal for a strong front-footed performance.
Colombia also went into the break one man down though, as Crystal Palace fullback Muñoz saw all of his positive energy misplaced in a moment of rage. He struck Manuel Ugarte with an elbow off the ball and was rightfully dismissed upon a VAR review of the incident. After such a great half for Colombia, Muñoz would leave his team disadvantaged and miss the final in case of victory.
At the start of the second half Colombia made a defensive change and set up in a 4-3-2 shape to try and seal the defence without completely losing all attacking options. Díaz and Cordoba were the outlets for a team that went from a high press to a low block during the break.
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After an hour of the game James had to be substituted. He was beginning to see red after receiving a yellow card from the referee. Richard Rios was injured and had to come off himself, and captain James was booked in the aftermath. Those were tough minutes for Los Cafeteros, and after that Luis Suarez entered the fray for Uruguay who began to apply more and more pressure.
With 20 minutes left of normal time Luis Diaz found himself with an opening on the counter but couldn’t pick the correct shot or pass to give Colombia a vital second. Seconds later Suarez struck the woodwork for Uruguay after a fine move down the right.
These two sides met in Colombia last year and drew 2-2, and names like James and Suarez would tempt you to reminisce about their World Cup knock-out battle back in 2014 when James Rodriguez took the World by storm. This Copa América semifinal became a classic of its own.
With the man advantage Uruguay dominated the ball in the second half and did apply pressure on Colombia, but they didn’t really create much in the way of clear chances. Tangles between players from both sides, great Colombia defending and the odd dangerous counter attack made for an incredible spectacle nonetheless. Not to mention the tension in the air.
Seven minutes of stoppage time saw Colombia hit the crossbar on yet another break. As if they were throwing away their own final confirmation, but at the other end Uruguay were being just as wasteful in what was a truly thrilling tie with an emotional atmosphere.
The final whistle went after what felt like an eternity and sparked scenes of jubilation amongst Colombia players and fans alike. It also means they are a record 28 games without defeat in international football and as mentioned they have a date with destiny this weekend, against World Cup winners Argentina and Lionel Messi.
Source: Forbes
BDST: 0910 HRS, JULY 11, 2024
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