James Rodriguez Leads 10-Men Colombia to Copa America Final

James Rodriguez’s masterclass and a resolute performance from a 10-man Colombia team sealed their date with Argentina in the Copa America final following a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in the semi-final.

As the final whistle blew at North Carolina’s Bank of America Stadium, Colombia’s players celebrated their triumphant win, defying the odds to silence Uruguay’s high-flying attack. This determined performance extended Colombia’s unbeaten run to a team-record 28 games, their last defeat dating back to February 2022 against Argentina, who they will face in the final on Sunday.

Throughout the 90 minutes, Uruguay had multiple opportunities to take the lead but struggled to convert their chances. Liverpool’s ace Darwin Nunez came close in the 19th minute, but his shot narrowly missed the target.

Rodriguez, leading the charge for Colombia, created the decisive moment by setting up Jefferson Lerma, who headed the ball into the net in the 39th minute. The jubilant fans created an electric atmosphere as Colombia took the lead.

However, Colombia’s task to defend their slim advantage became more challenging when defender Daniel Munoz was sent off in first-half stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card for an elbow on Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte.

With time running out, Uruguay introduced one of their most prolific strikers, Luis Suarez, hoping to level the score. In the 71st minute, Suarez had a golden opportunity but failed to capitalize.

Colombia struck the crossbar in the final minutes of the game, but their lone goal proved sufficient to secure a spot in the final against Argentina.