Colombia resists Uruguay’s onslaught

Mexico Metropolis. Colombia, the resistance on the sector, defeated Marcelo’s Uruguay Loco Bielsa. With a discreet profile, however exact of their performances, the Colombian group celebrates its return to a Copa America closing after 23 years by beating the highly effective Uruguayan group 1-0; a feat that they achieved regardless of ending the match with 10 gamers.

The Colombians solely confirmed a hierarchy that they haven’t made a lot of: a report of 28 video games with out dropping. They are going to now search their second title within the historical past of the match, after successful in 2001, after they problem Argentina, the present champion of the match and the world, on Sunday.

The match was marred by an episode of violence. In an unlucky incident, Darwin Núñez and Ronald Araújo got here to blows with Colombian followers throughout a struggle within the stands.

In an preliminary model, Uruguayan defender José María Giménez stated that espresso growers’ supporters had attacked the relations of the Uruguayan gamers, so that they went in to defend them.

Within the recreation, Jefferson Lerma (39) scored with a header, whereas the remainder of the group rigorously adopted the technique of Argentine coach Néstor Lorenzo to deploy an ideal protection that helped them safe the rating after the expulsion of Daniel Muñoz (45+1).

Bielsa paced the technical space in desperation all through the match. The coach, who advocates a purer soccer system and who led Uruguay to resurgence, couldn’t discover the important thing to beat a Colombia that, with out stealing the highlight, was already exhibiting itself as a harmful rival.

Lorenzo, a supervisor who realized from José Pékerman when he managed Argentina and who confesses to being an admirer of Bielsa himself, has given Colombia a shocking increase since he took over the bench two years in the past.

With yesterday’s victory, the Colombians surpassed their finest report of 27 video games with out understanding defeat, which they imposed in 1994. The trail within the latest Copa América was additionally excellent, even tying with Brazil.

It was a whole celebration for the espresso growers. The Financial institution of America in Charlotte, North Carolina, was coated in a yellow wave of Colombian followers who made the venue their house, whereas on the sector, the group responded with exact play in assault and protection.

Uruguay was thought of the favorite on account of its good kind within the competitors and, above all, on account of Bielsa’s steering, so as soon as the preliminary whistle blew, the Uruguayan spirit didn’t fail in its insistence on reaching the nets.

Colombia’s objective was only a matter of ready for the appropriate play to point out off their precision. On a nook kick from star James Rodriguez, Lerma leapt with nice momentum to get previous the Uruguayan protection and join with a header that beat goalkeeper Sergio Rochet.

A careless mistake by Daniel Muñoz when he elbowed Manuel Ugarte left the Colombians at a numerical drawback, after the Mexican referee César Ramos Palazuelos despatched him off on the finish of the primary half.

However the braveness of the espresso growers didn’t lie in a single man or in ready for the opponent’s errors. Although Uruguay closed the sport with a fierce offensive led by Núñez and the veteran Luis Suárez, it was tough for them to interrupt the opponent’s protection, to the purpose that nervousness led them to overlook their pictures.

Between rigidity and amazement, Bielsa noticed his group, which he rescued and was trying to attain the ultimate to struggle with Argentina for recognition because the match’s most profitable group, fall. However, Lorenzo smiled, though additionally with shock; he had received the sport in opposition to the person he thought of his trainer and now he’s on the verge of constructing historical past with Colombia.