Uruguay vs Colombia live updates: 2024 Copa America match team ...

The officiating at the 2024 Copa America has taken center stage in the United States. From controversial video assistant review (VAR) decisions to refereeing mistakes, the tournament’s officials have been under scrutiny.

There are additional factors at play, too. No semi-automated offside, no goal-line technology, no qualms about groups of players surrounding the referee.

The nature of South American football and the personalities of some of its referees — and players — have always made this tournament a case study in cultural nuance. But at this year’s edition, played outside its home natural home continent on U.S. soil, finger-pointing and national rivalries have infiltrated many of the matches, too.

Reporters at international tournaments often note the different ways that colleagues from different nations act in the press box, in terms of celebrating their nation's team vs trying to appear impartial. Copa America has been no different in this regard, prompting CONMEBOL to circulate a statement earlier today urging reporters to avoid wearing jerseys in the press box.

"Dear colleagues, I understand that we are all fans at heart, but we are also professionals.

"So, for the final matches of this CONMEBOL Copa America, I urge you to stop going to the stadiums, our place of work, in shirts or jerseys belonging to your national team.

"We are professionals, not fans. From the Press area we will monitor this situation, which may generate some friction between colleagues that we do not want for the finals.

"Let's avoid arriving with attire as if we were fans..."

The biggest match that Uruguay and Colombia have played in recent memory came at the 2014 World Cup. The two South American nations met in the round of 16, with Colombia prevailing 2-0 on the back of a pair of goals from James Rodriguez – including THAT strike.

Colombia went on to lose to Brazil in the quarterfinals though Rodriguez did take home the Golden Boot award, his performances earning him a move to Real Madrid after the tournament.

This is the 13th time Uruguay and Colombia have met at Copa America. Uruguay hold an advantage of six wins against five defeats alongside one draw.

Their most recent meeting at the tournament, in fact their only meeting at it since 2004 came at the last edition in 2021. They met in the quarterfinals and went to penalties after a 0-0 draw, with Colombia prevailing 4-2 in the shootout.

Argentina swept aside Canada in the first semifinal last night, winning 2-0 to book their spot in Sunday's final in Miami.

Julian Alvarez put the defending champions ahead in the first half before Lionel Messi finally scored his first goal of the tournament early in the second half, redirecting Enzo Fernandez's shot.

The loser of tonight's match will face Canada in Saturday's third-place playoff.

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Colombia 5-0 Panama

James Rodriguez scored one goal and set up two more as Colombia hammered Panama 5-0 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday.

Colombia will play Uruguay in the second Copa America semi on Wednesday, with the winners of that tie up against either Argentina or Canada in the showpiece final next Sunday.

Brazil 0-0 Colombia

Brazil and Colombia closed out the Copa America group stage with a star studded goalless draw. Raphinha’s picture-perfect free kick in the 12th minute gave Brazil an early lead as the match quickly lived up to its billing, but Colombia found an equalizer through Daniel Munoz that allowed them to preserve an unbeaten group stage and retain first place in Group D.

Brazil were left to wonder what could have been after what appeared to be a clear penalty shout for Vinicius Junior was denied by the referee shortly before Colombia’s goal.

Colombia 3-0 Costa Rica

Colombia turned on the style in their second match, thumping a Costa Rican side that had impressed against Brazil.

Luis Diaz, Davinson Sanchez and Jhon Cordoba scored in a 3-0 win.

Colombia 2-1 Paraguay

Colombia began their Copa America campaign with a routine win, in which James Rodriguez was the star of the show.

James set up both goals, with Daniel Munoz and Jefferson Lerma striking in a 2-1 win on a night which saw Brazil held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica.

Uruguay 0-0 Brazil (Uruguay won on penalties)

If you were expecting a beautiful, free-flowing encounter between two South American giants, you picked the wrong game.

This was the dirtiest match in this year’s Copa America so far with 41 fouls, surpassing the 37 in Chile’s 0-0 draw against Peru on the second day. Uruguay’s Nahitan Nandez was also sent off for a lunge on Rodrygo and there were four more yellow cards on a fractious evening in Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.

After 90 minutes plus stoppage time of pushes, prods and half-chances, it went down to a penalty shootout — and it was Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay who booked their place in the semi-final against Colombia.

USMNT 0-1 Uruguay

On the final night of Copa America Group C play, the U.S. men’s national team had to match or better Panama’s result against Bolivia. The challenge was that the U.S. would have to do it against unbeaten group leaders Uruguay.

The U.S. stayed with Uruguay in a frenetic and physical first half made all the more chaotic by odd decisions from an inexperienced referee and a strange camera angle for the TV broadcast. But in the second half, Uruguay broke through, scoring a goal in the 66th minute that the U.S. could not answer as they exited the tournament.

Uruguay 5-0 Bolivia

Early goals from Manchester United’s Facundo Pellistri and Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez got Uruguay off to a fast start against Bolivia and they didn’t look back, winning 5-0 with five different goalscorers to seal their place in the Copa America quarterfinals.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men had more goals in this win over Bolivia than any other Copa America team had across the entire tournament at that point.

Uruguay 3-1 Panama

Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay got off to a fast start at the Copa America, attacking Panama with nine shots in the first 20 minutes of their first group match in Miami. But even with the plentiful chances, they only managed a 1-0 lead until Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez sealed the victory in the 86th minute and Matias Vina made it 3-0 in added time. Panama got one back at the death to put the final score at 3-1.

Maxi Araujo scored the match’s first goal in spectacular fashion in the 16th minute. Nunez squandered several chances to extend the lead against an inferior opponent before he scored in the final five minutes. And, as dangerous as Uruguay looked early on, Panama gave them trouble at points in the second half.

Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Al Nassr), Camilo Vargas (Atlas), Alvaro Montero (Millonarios)

Defenders: Davinson Sanchez (Galatasaray), Santiago Arias (Bahia), Yerry Mina (Cagliari), Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace), Johan Mojica (Villarreal), Jhon Lucumi (Bologna), Carlos Cuesta (Genk), Deiver Machado (Lens)

Midfielders: James Rodriguez (Sao Paulo), Mateus Uribe (Al Sadd), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Juan Fernando Quintero (Racing Club), Jorge Carrascal (Dynamo Moscow), Jhon Arias (Fluminense), Kevin Castaño (Krasnodar), Richard Rios (Palmeiras), Yaser Asprilla (Watford)

Forwards: Luis Diaz (Liverpool), Rafael Santos Borré (Internacional), Miguel Borja (River Plate), Luis Sinisterra (Bournemouth), Jhon Durán (Aston Villa), Jhon Córdoba (Krasnodar).

Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet (Internacional), Santiago Mele (Atletico Junior), Franco Israel (Sporting Lisbon)

Defenders: Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Nicolas Marichal (Dinamo Moscow), Matias Vina (Flamengo), Lucas Olaza (Krasnodar), Mathias Olivera (Napoli), Sebastian Caceres (Club America), Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), Nahitan Nandez (Cagliari)

Midfielders: Manuel Ugarte (Paris Saint-Germain), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Emiliano Martinez (Midtjylland), Nicolas de la Cruz (Flamengo), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Flamengo)

Forwards: Luis Suarez (Inter Miami), Darwin Nunez (Liverpool), Agustin Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense), Brian Rdriguez (Club America), Brian Ocampo (Cadiz), Facundo Pellistri (Granada, on loan from Manchester United), Maximiliano Araujo (Toluca), Cristian Olivera (LAFC)