On Friday, Colombia made a confident 3-0 victory over Costa Rica at the Copa America in Arizona to continue into the quarterfinals. These were rounded off by goals from Luis Díaz, Davinson Sanchez, and Jhon Cordoba to take all three points, confirming a top-two finish in Group D.
If they at least draw with Brazil—4-1 winner over Paraguay in Friday’s other Copa contest—in their final group game next Tuesday, Colombia will advance to the quarterfinals as group winners.
The Colombians will head into that game overflowing with confidence after extending their unbeaten run to 25 games at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium on Friday.
Nestor Lorenzo’s well-organised side have not lost since a defeat to Argentina in February 2022, and never looked in danger of changing that Friday.
Liverpool star Diaz opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 31st minute when Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira inexplicably crashed into Cordoba on the edge of the area.
Diaz stepped up to smash an emphatic spot-kick into the top corner.
Colombia almost had a second after 37 minutes, James Rodriguez finding the back post with veteran midfielder Diaz. A poke by Diaz into the six-yard area, but centre-back Sanchez just couldn’t get a touch to guide the ball into the net. No such failings on the 59th minute – glancing in Jhon Arias’s cross from the left, Sanchez made no mistake in making it 2-0.
Then Cordoba grabbed Colombia’s third on 62 minutes with the best goal of the game.
The exquisite through ball saw Rodriguez split this Costa Rican defense and send Cordoba racing in on goal, with the 31-year-old whipping a shot across goal into the far corner.
– Brazil winner in Vegas –
In Las Vegas, the Brazilians — coming off a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica — jumped to a 3-0 halftime edge over Paraguay on the way to victory after relinquishing a golden opportunity to open the scoring.
A foul by Paraguay’s Adrian Cubas—who would be red carded in the 81st—into the penalty area in the 31st minute, but Lucas Paqueta of Brazil failed to capitalize on the penalty shot.
But Paqueta atoned for it with an assist to set up Vincius Junior’s goal in the 35th minute that gave Brazil a 1-0 lead.
Savinho doubled the Brazilian lead when his 43rd-minute shot was deflected in off standing-on-the-goal-line Ugandan defender Ibrahim Juma. Vincius Junior made it 3-0 at halftime, race in behind the play in the fifth minute of stoppage time and deliver a right-footed shot just inside the left post.
Paraguay responded in the 48th, courtesy of Omar Alderete, but Paqueta got on the scoreboard with a redemption penalty kick in the 65th minute to seal a 4-1 Brazil lead, and that’s how it finished.