New Delhi: Colombia defeated Uruguay by 1-0 in the second semi-final of the Copa America at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States on July 11, Thursday.
Colombia ended their 23-year wait and qualified for a major tournament final. The Colombian players were in tears after their victory in the semi-final and celebrated the win with thousands of fans.
Jefferson Lerma scored the first goal in the 39th minute of the game for Colombia. Lerma outjumped Uruguay’s defence on a corner and squeezed his header past goalkeeper Sergio Rochet.
El GRAN cabezazo de Lerma para el 1-0 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/AT4z0uyQQY
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ (@CopaAmerica) July 11, 2024
Munoz received his first yellow card in the 31st minute from the Mexican referee Cesar Ramos for a rash tackle on Maximiliano Araujo and received his second yellow for elbowing Manuel Ugarte in the stomach just before halftime.
The match was physical and players from both sides kept pushing and shoving each other, resulting in seven yellow and one red card. Liverpool star Darwin Nunez missed many chances before Colombia scored their first goal.
Uruguay dominated the possession in the second half and the veteran striker Luis Suarez nearly equalised in the 71st minute but the post denied his team’s chance to come back in the match and 10-man Colombia held their nerve to book a spot in the final.
Earlier in the first semi-final on Wednesday, Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez helped Argentina to beat Canada by 2-0 and book their place in another final of the Copa America. Uruguay will now face Canada in the third play-off match on Sunday.
Colombia to face Argentina in final
Colombia will defend their 28-game unbeaten streak when they will face defending champions Argentina in the big final on Monday. Lionel Messi’s side is looking to win their record 16th Copa America title. Argentina will join Spain as the only country to win three straight major titles if they beat Colombia in the final.
Colombia beat Uruguay in the second semi-final of the Copa America 2024 and will face Messi’s Argentina in the final on Monday. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
