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Colombia Held Brazil To Draw In Copa America Clash
Colombia managed to pull off a 1-1 tie against Brazil on Tuesday, securing their spot in the Copa America quarter-finals as the group champions.
A goal from Daniel Munoz in the first half’s half-time break was sufficient to secure a share of the victory for Colombia, following a goal from Raphinha that put Brazil in the lead with an impressive 12th-minute free-kick at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
This outcome has propelled Colombia into the knockout stages as the winners of Group D, where they will take on the runners-up of Group C, Panama, in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday.
However, the draw on Tuesday has set the stage for a monumental clash in Las Vegas on Saturday against Uruguay, the group winners with an undefeated record.
Raphinha, the scorer for Brazil, expressed confidence that the five-time world champions would remain unperturbed by the challenge of facing Uruguay.
“Our team is evolving with each game, with each training session and we think we’re on the right track,” Raphinha said in a post-match interview.
“Unfortunately it wasn’t the result we wanted, and it wasn’t the position that we wanted to qualify for the quarter-finals in.
“But whoever wants to be champion shouldn’t be worrying about who they play in the next round; we have to be prepared for anyone.
“If we want to win this competition, we have to be prepared to play our best.”
Vinicius Jr Set Back
SportXparte reports that Brazil is set to advance to the quarter-finals without the presence of Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, who received his second yellow card of the tournament for a daring early tackle on James Rodriguez on Tuesday.
The match against Colombia was a tense affair, with the Colombian midfielder Rodriguez raising concerns among Brazil supporters with his free-kick.
It was a nail-biting moment as the ball barely missed the goalpost after Alisson, the goalkeeper, was out of position.
Despite Colombia’s initial rough start, Brazil showcased their skill within the first 12 minutes. Raphinha’s execution of a remarkable free-kick into the top corner was a display of sheer talent, securing a 1-0 lead for Brazil.
Conversely, Colombia continued to pose a threat, with Rodriguez’s shot narrowly missing the goal after 16 minutes.
Rodriguez believed he had scored Colombia’s equalizer just three minutes later after passing the ball to Davinson Sanchez for a goal from a free-kick on the right side.
The match was filled with drama as Rodriguez’s goal, which would have been Colombia’s equalizer, was disallowed. The tension was palpable after a video assistant referee (VAR) review deemed the goal offside.
Tempers flared in the middle of the first half, leading Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela to issue three yellow cards to players from both teams: Deiver Machado and Jefferson Lerma from Colombia and Joao Gomes from Brazil.
Throughout the first half, Colombia appeared to be the stronger team. In the final minutes, their skill paid off, with Crystal Palace wing-back Munoz scoring after a brilliant pass from veteran forward Jhon Cordoba.
Colombia – who have maintained an impressive record of 26 consecutive international wins since a defeat to Argentina in early 2022 – seemed comfortable in the second half and should have clinched the victory in the final minutes, only for substitute Rafael Borre to miss a shot from eight yards out.
In the match on Tuesday, Costa Rica emerged victorious over Paraguay with a score of 2-1 in Austin, securing the third-place position in Group D.
