Davinson Sánchez and Jhon Córdoba scored three minutes apart in the second half, and Colombia advanced to the Copa America quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Costa Rica. (More Football News)
Colombia controlled possession (62%) for the second straight game and led 1-0 at halftime on Luis Díaz's penalty kick in the 31st minute.
Los Cafeteros kept up the pressure in the second half and wrapped up Group D with a dominating performance in front of 27,386 pro-Colombian fans at State Farm Stadium. Colombia outshot Costa Rica๊ 14-5 and faces Brazil on Tuesday in Santa Clara, California to close out the group stage.
𝓀Colombia has won 10 straight and is unbeaten in 25 games (20-0-5) since losing at Argentina in a World Cup qualifier in 2022. Costa Rica did not have a shot on goal.
ಌ“Today was a game we dominated from start to finish,” Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo said through an interpreter.
🐎Costa Rica had the first big surprise of the tournament, playing nine-time Copa America champion Brazil to a scoreless tie despite being outshot 18-2.
🌜Los Ticos found themselves on their heels again against another powerhouse team in the desert — and it didn't go quite as well for the youngest roster in the tournament.
♊“The other team was clearly on another level,” Costa Rica coach Gustavo Alfaro said.
♛Colombia controlled possession (66%) in its opening 2-1 win over Paraguay and dominated the ball early against Costa Rica.
Díaz had the first good chance in the fifth minute, just missing the crossbar on a header. James Rodríguez followed with the first shot on goal in the 20th minute, but Patrick Sequeira sprawled out for a diving save.
💮Díaz scored on the penalty kick after Sequeira took down a charging Córdoba at the edge of the penalty box. Los Cafeteros kept up the pressure, just missing another goal when Sánchez couldn't get a head on Díaz's bouncing cross.
🦩Colombia had 71% possession in the first half and kept control in the second.
𒀰Sánchez made it 2-0 with a header off a corner kick in the 59th minute. Córdoba scored when he slipped behind Costa Rica's defense and beat Sequeira from a tough angle.
ꦜ“We're a good team, but we also have good character," Lorenzo said.
♕“It's no miracle. They're good players,” Lorenzo said after the game, in Spanish. “The quality of the players is what makes the difference. On the field they pressure, they stick to the game plan.”