Ten-man Colombia defeated Uruguay 1-0 to reach the final of the Copa America for the first time in 23 years after a contentious semi-final on Wednesday. A 39th-minute header by Jefferson Lerma secured the victory for Colombia, who will now face reigning champions Argentina in Sunday’s final in Miami.
The semi-final, played before a passionate and packed crowd, ended with scuffles on the field and fights in the stands, with some players even climbing among supporters amid the chaos. Despite having Daniel Munoz sent off just before halftime and facing significant pressure from Uruguay, Colombia held on for a notable victory to the delight of their numerous fans.
The downtown streets of the North Carolina city were filled with celebrating fans in bright yellow Colombia jerseys hours before kick-off. Inside the 74,800-capacity Bank of America Stadium, it resembled a home game in Bogota, with only a few Uruguayan supporters breaking up the sea of yellow.
In such an atmosphere, Colombia started strongly, with Liverpool winger Luis Diaz creating space for a cross from the left, finding Daniel Munoz at the back post, but the full-back’s header was off target. Uruguay posed a counter-attacking threat, with Liverpool star Darwin Nunez nearly finishing off one break when Rodrigo Bentancur set him up with a clever pass, but his shot went wide. Nunez had another chance when Maximiliano Araujo played him clear in the inside-right channel, but he rushed his shot, blasting high and wide.
At the other end, Colombia forced a turnover, leading to James Rodriguez curling in a cross from the right, but Jhon Cordoba’s header was off target.
The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Lerma rose above Jose Maria Gimenez and headed home Rodriguez’s corner. This was the sixth assist of the tournament for Rodriguez, breaking the record for most assists in a single Copa, previously set by Lionel Messi in 2021.
Colombia looked to capitalize on their momentum with Richard Rios testing Uruguay keeper Sergio Rochet after a setup from Munoz. However, Munoz, who had been influential down the right in the first half, lost his composure just before halftime. He received a second yellow card for elbowing Manuel Ugarte, leaving Colombia to defend their lead with 10 men for the entire second half.
Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo substituted Rodriguez, who was also on a yellow card, in the 62nd minute as Uruguay gradually converted their numerical advantage into real pressure. Nicolas de la Cruz threatened with a low shot, and substitute Luis Suarez nearly equalized, hitting the post from the edge of the box after good work by Federico Valverde. Valverde himself came close with a low shot as Colombia’s defense held firm.
In stoppage time, a giveaway by the Uruguay keeper led to a chance for Mateus Uribe, who placed his shot wide despite having time and space. Uruguay had a late opportunity to force penalties when Nunez set up Giorgian de Arrascaeta on the edge of the box, but he leaned back and put his shot over the bar.
Uribe also squandered a chance to secure the win, hitting the bar in the final minute. Despite these missed opportunities, Colombian supporters were jubilant. However, celebrations were marred by disorderly scenes in the stands, which will concern CONMEBOL organizers ahead of a final expected to draw large numbers of Argentine and Colombian fans alike.
