key events
90+2 minutes Valverde played a brilliant pass into Canobbio, whose light touch forced Vargas off his line and onto the ball. Great goalkeeping.
90+1 minutes There seven minutes Of extra time.
90 minutes: Uruguay substitution Agustin is for Canobio de la Cruz.
89 minutes A long-range shot from Araujo was easily saved by Vargas. Uruguay’s time is running out.
89 minutes “You’re up late,” says Liz White. “Disgusting/entertaining describes many of the CONMEBOL and CONCACAF games I have watched over the years. If at the end there is no time to stay, the chances of the bench settling the dispute are not zero.”
88 min: What a chance for Castano! Colombia have a great chance on the break after good play from Sinisterra, but the unmarked Castano sidefoots just wide from 12 yards. If Colombia doesn’t win, it will pollute its dreams for decades.
86 min: Colombia substitution Luis Sinisterra replaces the lauded Luis Diaz.
85 minutes Jimenez headed De Arrascaeta’s corner under pressure from Lerma. This was not a special occasion. Uruguay don’t really look to break even here.
82 minutes Luis Diaz buys some time in more legitimate ways by fouling Ugarte.
Despite all the pressure from Uruguay in the second half, Vargas had only one fairly easy chance to save.
82 minutes A Colombia player has just kicked for touch from the halfway line. There are still at least 12 or 13 minutes left.
80 minutes Mina stayed down after a fairly casual challenge from Suarez. Bielsa waves his hands in… I was going to say disgust but really it’s disappointment. This is not the football of their romantic ideals, and that applies to both sides.
It’s been a confusing game – wildly, guiltily entertaining on one level, downright disgusting on another.
79 minutes Colombia has never reached a Copa America final outside its home country. Where have I heard that before? They are working hard to play Argentina on Sunday night.
77 minutes Colombia isn’t even bothering to attack anymore. This is a risky strategy but you can understand it under the circumstances.
Don’t forget that there is no extra time, so if Uruguay equalizes they will get a penalty.
75 min: Colombia substitution Yerry Mina replaces the exhausted John Cordoba. In other words, a defender for the forwards. The bus has been parked, tires have been removed.
75 minutes Fede Valverde cuts a drive from 20 yards out which goes a few yards wide of the near post. Uruguay is getting closer.
73 min Nunez won a corner for Uruguay, who have been improving since Suarez’s arrival. It was taken quickly and curled beyond the far post, where Suárez allowed the ball to slip under and past his feet for a goalkick. He probably saw it late but he’ll still be disappointed by it.
71 min: Suarez hits the post! Uruguay go straight down the other end, Oliveira (I think) cuts the ball back to Luis Suarez on the edge of the area. He takes one touch and smashes a drive that hits the outside of the near post!
71 min Colombia broke three on three, only for Luis Díaz to give the ball away beautifully in the penalty area. This was a great opportunity to seal it.
71 min Scott Bassett writes, “I’m in New York and saw the first part in a bar with a Colombian crowd.” “When the goal went in, the shots of Aguardiente went into a frenzy and the dog at table three was barking like crazy as his owners were shouting loudly. When the raid was called out a few minutes later, there were some murmurs, but no real protest. I thought the first part was relatively neat, but it’s definitely evolved…
“Question: Is it true that at the Euros it is instructed that only the captain can contact the referee? I think it may come into play in this tournament as well…”
Actually there is. However, good luck attempting this on a night like this.
69 minutes Jimenez has been booked for knocking out Luis Diaz, who has played quietly well.
68 min A Uruguay player goes flying on the edge of the six-yard box but is cleared by the referee. Replays showed it was an invisible dive by Oliveira.
Moments later, de la Cruz’s 20-yarder was comfortably saved by Vargas.
67 min: Uruguay substitution Luis Suárez replaced Guillermo Varela, who had only come on in the 34th minute.
66 minutes Núñez hit the post, although he was offside so it did not count. Just before that he played brilliantly, beating two players and passing the ball back to Araújo (I think). He could not clear his shot and then Núñez blasted the post from an offside position.
65 minutes There is still at least half an hour left but the pace and desperation is such that it could be the last five minutes.
63 min Varela has been charged with foul play on Luis Diaz. It’s not really a football match anymore. It’s easy to blame the referees for the Rios business but ultimately footballers cry wolf all the time. How will he know when the hairy bugger has started catching the sheep?
62 min: Colombia substitution mateus uribe and kevin Cantstandya Castaño replaced Richard Rios and… James Rodriguez. This could simply be because Nestor is worried about Lorenzo Rodriguez being sent off.
61 min We are still waiting for the game to restart. At this rate there will be at least five hours of injury time.
59 minutes Rios goes down in the center circle and the ref asks for the stretcher. It’s all a bit messed up but it looks like he’s got a serious injury.
58 minutes The game eventually restarts, at which point James Rodriguez has another heated exchange with the referee. Rios limped back but was clearly struggling.
Premier sports commentator Paul Dempsey says, “If it’s an act, it’s a really good act.”
56 minutes I don’t think Rios is faking it, although who knows these days. Anyway, now he is undergoing some treatment.
54 minutes Rios is held up near the corner flag after an awkward challenge from both Nunez and Araújo. The referee looks at him and then waves, Rios hits the ground in pain. Colombia are effectively down to nine players and James Rodriguez is going ballistic. A case of dissent has been registered against him.
53 min Uruguay are dynamic and hard-working, but they look a little weak in attack. Who knows, we may see 482 year old Luis Suarez at some stage.
51 min: Chance for Colombia! Rodriguez’s outswinging corner was deflected wide of the far post from eight yards by a backpedaling Cordoba, Rochette again in no man’s land. That was James Rodriguez’s Helluva Corner.
51 min Vargas’ long goalkick was headed by Córdoba to Díaz, who was beaten to the ball by Jiménez. Crucial save, and a corner to Colombia.
50 min A misplaced cross from Maxi Araujo set up another attack for Uruguay. At least he’s coming into some good positions.
49 minutes Colombia dominated the ball in the first half; Now, out of necessity, they are very deep seated. There is more urgency in Uruguay’s play, although a promising move breaks down when Ugarte clears his cross.
46 minutes The second half is underway, and early signs are that Colombia is in the mood to waste some time.
Uruguay made a double substitution at half-time:
Pellistri and Mathias Oliveira are replaced by Cristian Oliveira and Giorgio de Arrascaeta.
Colombia has brought in Santiago Arias in place of Jhon Arias. I wish they had a player named Elbow.
Munoz may have been implicated in that red card By dennis wise Ugarte, possibly with a sly quip. However, his response was quite subdued, a hearty elbow to the chest bone.
Half Time: Uruguay 0-1 Colombia
Columbia is one goal up and one down after a spirited first half at North Carolina. Darwin Nunez missed two great chances for Uruguay before Jefferson Lerma put Colombia ahead from James Rodriguez’s corner.
Daniel Munoz, perhaps Colombia’s best attacker, fouled and was sent off for two yellow cards, although it is still unclear whether VAR was used correctly. Colombia are still angry as they are out at half time.
45+5 minutes Córdoba missed an awkward volley over the shoulder, then Diaz’s deflected shot was saved by Rochette.
Munoz was sent off!
45+1 minutes Chaos in North Carolina! Munoz is given a second yellow and Colombia are going crazy. It’s the right decision in isolation – he elbowed Ugarte in the stomach – but I’m not sure about the protocol. Is the VAR team also allowed to recommend a second yellow? Apparently this is what happened.
45 minutes Ugarte is down after some kind of incident with Munoz, who is himself showing his chest to the referee.
Replays showed Munoz elbowing Ugarte in the chest; He should have been given a second yellow card for this, but that’s probably not enough to get straight to VAR.
44 min: Smart save by Rochette! Uruguay is stuck at half time. The tireless Munoz advances into the area and troubles Rios, whose first-time shot is well saved by Rochette to his left.
43 minutes Marcelo Bielsa is clearly telling his team to remain calm.
It’s a bad moment for Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, He came in for Rodriguez’s inswinging corner, couldn’t even get close and was beaten by Lerma’s downward header. Lerma did really well by getting past Jimenez and then placing his header inside the near post. Anywhere else and Rochette might have kicked it.
Target Uruguay 0-1 Colombia (Lerma 39)
Jefferson Lerma gives Colombia the lead!
38 minutes It’s been a strange first half, with Colombia playing most of the football but Uruguay – particularly Darwin Nunez – having the two best chances.
36 minutes “This is a fascinating clip of Bielsa’s press conference,” says Justin Kavanagh. “You can only imagine the pang of embarrassment that statements like this would cause to most big clubs, who are surrounded by smiling PR people. The parade has created awareness against such truths. Presumably the Uruguayan Blazers conduct themselves with the same rugged spirit… respect for realism… as their teams have shown over the years. Good for him for giving Bielsa Bielsify.”
34 min: Uruguay substitution Poor Rodrigo Bentancur, who had bad luck with his injury, is limping in distress. He has been replaced by Guillermo Varela, which could mean another change in the system.
33 min: Chance for Colombia! Rodriguez hit a lovely cross which Cordoba headed miles wide of the penalty spot. He mistimed his header.
31 min Munoz is booked for a tackle from behind on Araújo, then gives a mouthful to the referee. This match is starting to go down.
