Colombia reach Copa América final as Rodriguez shines in win against Uruguay

Despite playing with 10 men in the second half, Los Cafeteros extended their unbeaten streak to an impressive 28 matches.

After defeating Panama in the quarter-finals, Colombia started strong against Marcelo Bielsa's team, with Daniel Munoz missing a good headed chance early on. Uruguay gradually gained momentum in the first half, with Darwin Nunez coming close to scoring twice from the edge of the box.

The match remained intense, and Colombia capitalized on their pressure just before halftime when Lerma scored from James Rodriguez's corner kick. However, their celebration was short-lived as Munoz was sent off with a second yellow card for elbowing Manuel Ugarte.

Uruguay, with a numerical advantage, sought to assert their dominance in the early stages of the second half. However, they struggled to create clear-cut chances as Jhon Córdoba threatened to extend Colombia's lead with a close-range header.

In a bid to ignite their attack, Bielsa brought on Luis Suarez, Uruguay's all-time leading goalscorer, with 25 minutes left. Suarez came agonizingly close to scoring immediately, hitting the post from Cristian Olivera's pass.

Despite this near miss, Uruguay continued to push for an equalizer as the clock ticked down to the final 10 minutes. However, Giorgian de Arrascaeta squandered their best chance by firing over the bar late in the game, allowing Colombia's solid defense to secure their place in Sunday's final against Argentina - their first Copa América final since winning the tournament in 2001.

Uruguay, on the other hand, will aim to finish the tournament on a positive note as they take on Canada in the third-place play-off.