The United States' preparations for the upcoming Copa America faced a harsh setback on Saturday, as Gregg Berhalter's squad suffered a 5-1 defeat to Colombia in a pre-tournament friendly.

Colombia dominated early, securing victory with first-half goals from Fluminense striker Jhon Arias and an overhead kick from Rafael Borre, putting them 2-0 up within the first 19 minutes at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

The US showed improvement in the second half, with Timothy Weah scoring a well-crafted goal in the 58th minute, offering a glimmer of hope. However, Colombia's substitute Richard Rios dashed any chances of a comeback by scoring on the 77th minute, followed by goals from Jorge Carrascal and Luis Sinisterra in the closing minutes.

This defeat marked the first time the US conceded five goals in a game since their 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. The scoreline could have been even worse, as Colombia missed several other opportunities.

Berhalter fielded a starting lineup consisting entirely of players from Europe's top five leagues as the team geared up for their Copa America Group C opener against Bolivia in Dallas on June 23. Despite the strong lineup, the US struggled to keep pace with Colombia's relentless attacks.

Arias opened the scoring after just six minutes, capitalizing on a deflected interception to fire the ball into the roof of the net. The US nearly equalized when Antonee Robinson set up Folarin Balogun, whose shot was cleared off the line by Davinson Sanchez.

Colombia continued to pressure, with Mateus Uribe missing narrowly and Borre doubling the lead with an acrobatic overhead kick. Weah's goal, assisted by Balogun, briefly revived US hopes, but Colombia remained the more dangerous team.

Rios's goal reestablished Colombia's two-goal lead, and late strikes from Carrascal and Sinisterra sealed the comprehensive victory. The US will seek to regroup ahead of their next friendly against Brazil on Wednesday, as they continue to prepare for the Copa America.