Brazil secured a thrilling 1-1 draw against Colombia in California on Tuesday, setting up an exciting Copa América quarter-final clash with Uruguay. Colombia, finishing at the top of Group D with seven points, will face Panama in the quarter-finals.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
Daniel Muñoz scored for Colombia in the first half, neutralizing Brazil’s early lead from a superb free-kick by Raphinha. This result extended Colombia’s unbeaten streak to 26 matches, though it ended their 10-match winning run. Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, emphasizing the importance of measuring themselves against a strong opponent like Brazil. Brazil’s defender Marquinhos acknowledged the need for the team to improve, especially in significant matches.
Intense First-Half Action
The match was highly competitive, with both teams attacking from the start. Vinicius Jr received a yellow card early on after accidentally striking James Rodriguez, ruling him out of the Uruguay match. Rodriguez nearly scored for Colombia, hitting the crossbar from the resulting free-kick before Raphinha’s brilliant free-kick gave Brazil the lead in the 12th minute. Colombia’s Davinson Sanchez had a goal disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR check.
Brazil called for a penalty in the 42nd minute when Muñoz brought down Vinicius in the box, but replays showed the Colombia defender got a touch on the ball. Jhon Cordoba then found a pocket of space on the edge of the area and played a brilliant through ball to Muñoz, who rifled his effort into the net to level the scores in first-half stoppage time.
Second Half and Missed Opportunities
Despite the searing California heat, neither side let the intensity drop after the break. Raphinha came close to scoring from another free-kick in the 59th minute, firing just wide of the post. Colombia also had their chances to score in the second half, the best of which fell to substitute Rafael Borre, who blazed a shot over the crossbar from close range. Colombia keeper Camilo Vargas had to be sharp to keep out Brazil substitute Andreas Pereira’s dipping long-range effort deep into stoppage time.
Costa Rica’s Campaign Ends
Costa Rica finished third in the group on four points, narrowly missing the quarter-finals despite a 2-1 victory over Paraguay in their final group match. Early goals from Francisco Calvo and Josimar Alcocer set the pace, with Calvo heading home from the edge of the six-yard box in the third minute and 19-year-old Alcocer powering past several players before pulling the trigger from well outside the box to beat the keeper.
Paraguay came to life in the second half, with Costa Rica’s hopes of qualifying dwindling 10 minutes after the restart when Ramon Sosa scored his first goal for his country. Costa Rica’s defense could do nothing as Mathias Villasanti dribbled into the box and set up Sosa, who blasted the ball into the top corner past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira. Costa Rica nearly conceded again from a corner in added time, the ball deflecting off Fabian Balbuena’s head to Angel Romero, but his shot failed to make it past the fingertips of Sequeira.
Historic Low for Paraguay
It marked the first time since 1925 that Paraguay had lost all of their group matches, prompting their coach Daniel Garnero to label the tournament as a bad performance. “It was a bad tournament, a bad performance,” Garnero said. Costa Rica coach Gustavo Alfaro reflected on the team’s performance, stating, “We had our strengths, our achievements, and our mistakes, but we grew and we’re analyzing the performance rather than the results.”
Looking Ahead
With the group stages concluded, the quarter-final fixtures are set to be fiercely contested. Brazil will need to address their shortcomings as highlighted by Marquinhos if they hope to progress past Uruguay. Meanwhile, Colombia, bolstered by their unbeaten streak, will look to capitalize on their momentum against Panama. The stage is set for an exciting knockout phase in the Copa América.
