Colombia secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Uruguay in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday, despite playing the entire second half with only 10 men. Jefferson Lerma’s first-half header proved decisive, setting up a title showdown against defending champions Argentina.
Daniel Muñoz’s sending off just before halftime left Colombia a man down, but Uruguay failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage. Darwin Nunez squandered several clear chances, including a close-range opportunity in the 17th minute and two subsequent attempts that missed the mark.
Colombia punished Uruguay for their missed opportunities when Lerma leaped above the defense to head in a corner, scoring past goalkeeper Sergio Rochet with an assist from James Rodriguez, who notched his sixth assist of the tournament.
The momentum shifted against Colombia when Muñoz received his second yellow card for elbowing Manuel Ugarte during a stoppage in play. Despite Uruguay dominating possession in the second half and bringing on Luis Suarez in the 67th minute, the veteran striker’s shot struck the post, leaving him frustrated on his knees.
In the 88th minute, Colombia had a chance to seal the win when they regained possession in Uruguay’s box, but Mateus Uribe’s low shot veered wide. Uruguay pressed on, with another attempt deflecting off the goalkeeper and hitting the crossbar in added time.
Colombia, extending their unbeaten streak to 28 matches, held on for a memorable victory and will face Argentina in the final on Sunday. Uruguay, meanwhile, will contest the third-place playoff against Canada a day earlier.
