Colombia secured a 1-1 draw with Brazil on Tuesday, clinching their spot as Group D winners and advancing to the Copa America quarter-finals. Daniel Munoz's equalizer in first-half stoppage time canceled out Raphinha's early goal for Brazil, ensuring Colombia's top position in the group.
The match, held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, saw Brazil take the lead in the 12th minute with a spectacular free-kick from Raphinha. However, Colombia responded strongly, and their persistence paid off just before halftime when Munoz finished off a well-executed move initiated by Jhon Cordoba.
Colombia will now face Group C runners-up Panama in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday. Brazil, meanwhile, faces a tough quarter-final clash against Uruguay, who topped Group D with a perfect record. This encounter will take place in Las Vegas on the same day.
Brazil will be without Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. for their quarter-final match, as he received his second yellow card of the tournament for a reckless foul on James Rodriguez early in the game. Rodriguez nearly capitalized on the resulting free-kick, hitting the bar with goalkeeper Alisson beaten.
Despite an early setback with Raphinha's goal, Colombia dominated much of the first half, and their relentless pressure eventually led to Munoz's equalizer. Tempers flared in the first half, resulting in yellow cards for Colombia's Deiver Machado and Jefferson Lerma, as well as Brazil's Joao Gomes.
In the second half, Colombia continued to control the game and came close to securing a win in the final minutes when substitute Rafael Borre missed a clear chance from eight yards out. Nevertheless, Colombia extended their unbeaten run to 26 international games, dating back to a defeat to Argentina in early 2022.
In the other Group D match on Tuesday, Costa Rica defeated Paraguay 2-1 in Austin, finishing in third place in the group.
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