We’re going to wrap this blog up now – Tom Dart’s game report should be along soon. Thanks for reading.
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A decent game, as third-placed playoff games go, and USA were a bit unlucky to lose: they did OK here, and on another day might have won. But Colombia put together one piece of quality football, and that was the difference. Maybe Colombia were marginally the better side; James was certainly the game’s best player.
So USA finish with a 3-0-3 record at this tournament. Doesn’t really do them justice, does it?
Full-time: USA 0-1 Colombia
That’s the whistle, and USA finish fourth.
90 min +5: Nagbe hits a free kick straight into Ospina’s chest, and that might be that.
RED CARD! Arias (Colombia 90)
And it looks like Arias has gone too! It looked like he put his head into Orozco’s face. Ten versus ten for the final 90 seconds or so.
RED CARD! Orozco (USA, 90)
Another sending off for USA! Orozco walks for shoving Arias in the face. Stupid.
90 min +2: USA camped outside Colombia’s penalty area. But there’s no width, and Zardes keeps choosing the wrong option.
90 min: Five minutes of stoppage time! Time yet for USA to snaffle an equaliser and send this one to penalties.
89 min: Martinez is slipped through by James, but he’s offside. Mild outrage for USA: they thought Nagbe was fouled.
88 min: Pulisic fouls James, who collapses on the floor. More jeers from the home supporters.
87 min: Orozco is booked for whacking James from behind.
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86 min: Great pass from James, who’s been the game’s best player, but Moreno shoots wide. Celis is replaced by Stefan Medina.
85 min: Now Colombia have had 52% of possession and USA 48! Are they in or out?!
84 min: Minor squabble between Pulisic and Torres after Torres clashed with Cameron and then went down extravagantly. Now Celis has gone down. A bit of gamesmanship from the Colombians.
83 min: Lol! An air kick from Bobby Wood after being fed by Yedlin: Wood was free, 15 yards out, and completely miskicked.
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81 min: Good hit from Cardona, 25 yards out, and Howard does well to turn it round the post. Martinez can’t quite reach the corner from James, and it’s a goal kick.
80 min: Moreno wins a corner for Colombia. Cardona take it short, gets it back, and then crosses it perfectly for the first defender to head it clear.
78 min: This game’s just lost its rhythm slightly after a series of substitutions and fouls. And now Darlington Nagbe is on for Michael Bradley.
77 min: Roger Martinez replaces Carlos Bacca and wins only his fourth cap.
76 min: Cleared by James Rodriguez. It didn’t beat the first man.
75 min: Yedlin crosses from the right and wins a corner.
73 min: Cuadrado is booked for hauling Jones back. And that’s his last action – he’s replaced by Marlos Moreno. And Christian Pulisic is on for Alejandro Bedoya.
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72 min: Fabra crosses from the left, but it’s wildly overhit, not for the first time.
70 min: Twenty minutes left, but you sense goals in this. Both teams looking to go forward.
68 min: Orozco goes down after a hard challenge from Cuadrado. That should probably have been a booking; Cuadrado was late.
66 min: Dempsey puts it wide! Great play by Wood, bullocking his way through a posse of Colombia defenders, and it popped out to Dempsey, who hit it wide first-time! Ospina didn’t move. Klinsmann thought it was in.
64 min: There’s much more space now, and we’re finally seeing some hardcore, team-on-team goalmouth action. Cuadrado and Wood were so unlucky just then.
61 min: Now Wood shoots left-footed … and that’s off the post! Lovely strike, on a loose ball in the box, and, again, Ospina was beaten. It clonked straight back off the woodwork. It’s all happening!
60 min: But what an effort from Cuadrado – off the crossbar! Colombia broke, James fed Cuadrado on the edge of the box, and he lifted a delicious chip that had Howard totally beaten – but it came back off the underside of the bar!
59 min: USA are pressing pretty high, which means there could be chances for Colombia on the break. Colombia still give the impression that they’re in third gear, however – there’s not a great deal of bite and snap to their play.
56 min: Ooh, big chance for 2-0. Bacca blocked Cameron, which allowed James to get free on the left side, but he blasted wide. He had time and space, but dragged his shot beyond the far post.
54 min: Good start to the second half from the hosts. Wood is tackled cleanly by Murillo on the edge of the box as he tried to link up with Dempsey.
51 min: Nothing comes of the corner. That was a seriously good save by Ospina. Dempsey hit it so accurately, but with pace, too: it was right in the top corner, and Ospina did so well to get across and tip it over the bar. Really excellent goalkeeping.
50 min: Free kick to USA 30 yards from goal, and Dempsey is denied by Ospina’s fingertips! Great effort, and what a save! Brilliant stuff.
48 min: USA have enjoyed 52% of possession to Colombia’s 48. If you read Brexit symbolism into that, you need to get some sleep.
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47 min: Cardona hits one from distance, and Howard watches it go over. It was always rising.
46 min: We’re back; no changes from either side at half-time.
Half-time: USA 0-1 Colombia
Not bad. Pretty even, and USA have done well – the difference is that one bit of quality play from Colombia. They lead 1-0. See you in 15.
45 min +1: Howard, again, is quickly out to deny Bacca from James’s clever pass. Now Cuadrado tries to dribble past Orozco, but Orozco does well to lever him off it and win the goal kick.
45 min: USA have done well since they goal; they’ve enjoyed most of the ball. Colombia having to do some defending. Two minutes of stoppage time.
43 min: Ospina raises a chuckle after Jones’s cross is just diverted past the post by Arias. Corner to USA, and Cardona heads it back into the danger zone instead of away, but the whistle goes for a push on Ospina
39 min: Jones clobbers Cuadrado with a forearm in the ear, and we’ll take a break. Jones is booked.
38 min: More good attacking play from USA, but Dempsey takes one touch too many and is crowded out. Maybe Bedoya got in his way also.
36 min: Bedoya … just over the bar! Yedlin crosses, Jones has a first nibble at it, which is blocked, and then Bedoya on the rebound – but it looped up and over the bar. All very messy, and Bedoya’s effort was more of a tackle than a shot, but it did have Ospina worried.
35 min: Andrea H writes: “I realize Johnson and Brooks are injured but are you seriously telling me we can’t find a better defender than Orozco? He is dreadful.”
34 min: We’ve seen some lovely individual goals in this tournament – Messi, Jhasmani Campos, Tecatito – but that might be the finest team goal. Four players involved; the execution was flawless. Really, really nice to watch.
But this is a test, now, for USA. Another concession in the first half.
32 min: Cuadrado did really well to control a difficult ball on the touchline, and found James on the edge of the box. The Colombia captain then scooped a delicious forward lob into the path of Arias, charging up from full-back, and he headed it across the box, where Bacca slid in to score from four yards. Lovely, incisive attacking move: they sliced USA open there. Great goal.
GOAL! USA 0-1 Colombia (Bacca 31)
That’s a super goal, and Colombia lead!
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30 min: Cuadrado, who sometimes looks brilliant and sometimes looks like opposite, miscontrols when well placed, and it’s out for a goal kick. At the other end, Yedlin crosses straight into Ospina’s arms.
28 min: It’s been reasonably even so far. Possibly the best chance has been that James blast from distance, although it was a fairly routine save for Howard.
27 min: Bradley is going to be OK to continue, at least for now. Arias scurries clear on the right flank, and wins a corner, which is plucked confidently out of the air by Howard.
25 min: Bradley is down after being clipped by Bacca. It looked innocuous, but Bradley seems in some pain here.
Scott Bassett emails: “Jim Rogers has a very good point about the absurd proclamation from three-quarters of the Fox team that USA were the favorites. It’s almost like the Fox News political Kool-Aid got mixed into their sports team’s craft services.”
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23 min: Mild panic as Bacca broke through completely free, but he was offside. Howard raced out of his goal to clear nonetheless. Good keeping from the soon-to-be Colorado player.
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21 min: Besler is booked for a late tackle on James as Colombia tried to break. The crowd boo. But maybe they were just saying “Boo-urns”.
Patrick Sullivan writes: “Jurgen is sensibly kneeling to preserve his energy. He will need leg strength to lift his boxes next week.”
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20 min: Corner for Colombia, but Zapata, I think it was, heads over.
18 min: The Fox commentators, JP Dellacamera and Stuart Holden, just speculating on whether James Rodriguez is on his way to Manchester United. You’ll have to dislodge Marouane first, James!
16 min: Here’s Jim Rogers: “Hi, Tim, I see it’s not your byline, but I’m not sure how an article can say Fox is beating ESPN without (repeatedly) bringing up three members of the studio panel picking the US to beat Argentina and Lalas saying something along the lines of “it’s 50-50”, particularly when (not unreasonably) commenting on ESPN’s British/UK slant.
“The ESPN announcers can have some biases (particularly for the Home Nations), but I do enjoy the flavor of a Steve McManaman reacting to the English display like a fan. The Fox announcers are fine, though the article also fails to mention Landon Donovan, probably exposed to the widest audience after calling several US games, and his comment along the lines of “goals change games” – though he did do a great job of pointing out a tiring Bedoya moments before he picked up the yellow that caused him to miss the Argentina game.”
Goals change games! Oh, Landon.
14 min: Dempsey goes close! Great ball from Jones to split Arias and Zapata, and Bedoya pulled it back from the byline, but Dempsey was just beaten to it. Corner for USA, their first, but Colombia defend competently.
12 min: Colombia, who have failed to score in their two previous games, have committed plenty of men forward so far. USA win it back and counter, and Murillo is booked for a late challenge on Wood.
11 min: James shoots from 20 yards, and Howard beats it away! The Colombia skipper found a little pocket of space just outside the D, and smashed one in that characteristic style of his, low backlift, but Howard got down well to get two hands to it. Bacca was offside on the follow-up.
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10 min: More space on the right hand side for Cuadrado, but Bedoya did well to get back, track his opponent, and win the free kick. Slightly sloppy from Cuadrado, but Bedoya did well.
7 min: A fairly low intensity start, but it’s been watchable enough. Cuadrado has been prominent in these early minutes.
5 min: USA’s defending at corners is somewhat uneven, and a cross from James on the left side causes panic stations, before it’s humped clear of danger.
4 min: Wood finds space, and fires it well over the bar. Then Colombia attack, and Jermaine Jones boots James Rodriguez in the heiny, but there’s no yellow card.
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3 min: Scott Bassett is scratching his head: “Can’t figure out what Klinsmann is up to here. Does he actually think this is the best team to win this game or is he just tinkering because that’s what he does?
“I expected him to start the kids, Pulisic and Nagbe, because, why the eff not? But he also doesn’t seem to have picked what he perceives as his best available 11, going on his selections up to the semi-final. So what the actual effing eff? Eff!”
It’s OK, Scott, here at the Guardian we’re no prudes. You can swear if you wish!
2 min: USA defend it in marginally more convincing fashion than they defended Colombia’s first corner in the first game of this tournament, and Cameron wellies it clear.
1 min: Peep peep! Colombia get us under way, in all white. USA in their navy second strip. Cuadrado is free in space on the right, and wins a corner.
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The teams are out on the field. We’ll have the national anthems, and then hopefully get going the usual seven or eight minutes late.
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And some important news happened in Colombia this week: a truce to put an end to 60 years of conflict. Read why the agreement signed between President Santos and leaders of the Farc rebels has made a nation rejoice:
An email! Here’s Kyle Brown: “The real answer on solid coverage is Univision. Where I live, they’ve covered every game. Fox has deigned to broadcast one. Other than that one, you’ve had to have cable or sneak a stream from somewhere.
Actually being able to watch the game is more important than the talkie-talkie crap. Better Spanish than nothing.”
So Tim Howard, as expected, starts in goal, and Bobby Wood, Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya return after suspension. John Brooks, one of the tournament’s top defenders, starts on the bench.
For Colombia, it’s a pretty much full-strength side. Carlos Bacca comes back into the team, and Guillermo Celis replaces Carlos Sanchez, who’s suspended after his dopey red card against Chile on Wednesday.
Tonight's teams
USA: Howard, Yedlin, Orozco, Cameron, Besler, Zardes, Bradley, Jones, Bedoya, Wood, Dempsey. Subs: Guzan, Birnbaum, Brooks, Nagbe, Beckerman, Kitchen, Pulisic, Wondolowski, Zusi, Castillo, Johnson.
Colombia: Ospina, Arias, Cristian Zapata, Murillo, Fabra, Celis, Torres, Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Cardona, Bacca. Subs: Robinson Zapata, Mina, Martinez, Perez, Aguilar, Medina, Dayro Moreno, Roa, Marlos Moreno, Bonilla.
Referee: Daniel Fedorczuk (Uruguay)
Hello and welcome
It’s white-hot the battle for third place in the Copa América, and USA play Colombia in Phoenix. Not much to play for, really – there’s no actual bronze medal – but for the fans, it’s nice to have another international game to savour, especially after that trio of duds from Euro 2016 earlier.
Kick off is just after 8pm. Come join!
Tim will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s why Fox is beating ESPN:
Coverage of the tournaments on both networks has been bloated, but Fox has managed the bloat better, mixing quick crosses to reporters on the ground and regular updates from the (ill-fated) Mexican campaign with the more talky stuff in the studio. At times throughout ESPN’s coverage it’s seemed as if the only tactic to fill in the space between match commentary and panel pontification is to let Mike Tirico editorialize on French labor law reform. This is not something any member of free society should have to listen to.
All this is to say that Fox has been comfortably the better network over the last few weeks: sharper, funnier, more varied, and more true to an authentically American culture of the sport.
