V7N, July 11 – Colombia has secured a spot in the Copa America final for the first time in 23 years, following a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in the semi-finals. Jefferson Lerma's decisive goal led Colombia to their first final appearance since 2001, when they won the tournament by defeating Mexico.

The match kicked off at 6 AM Bangladesh time at the Bank of America Stadium. Uruguay launched a series of attacks from the outset, with Darwin Núñez nearly scoring in the 18th minute, his shot narrowly missing the target. Núñez had another opportunity in the 27th minute but failed to convert from a counterattack.

Colombia took the lead in the 39th minute against the run of play. Jefferson Lerma headed in a brilliant corner from James Rodriguez, who set a new Copa America record with his sixth assist of the tournament, surpassing Lionel Messi's record of five assists in 2021.

Colombia had another scoring opportunity five minutes later but missed. The team faced a significant setback when Muñoz received a second yellow card for pushing Manuel Ugarte in the chest, leaving Colombia with ten players. Muñoz had already received his first yellow card in the 32nd minute.

Uruguay dominated the second half, with Núñez and de la Cruz spearheading the offense. However, poor finishing plagued Uruguay, with Luis Suárez missing a clear chance in the 71st minute. Colombia could have extended their lead in the 88th minute when Uribe capitalized on a mistake by Uruguay's goalkeeper Rochet, but he too missed the opportunity. Uribe's shot in the fourth minute of added time deflected off the bar.

Colombia celebrated a hard-fought 1-0 victory, maintaining their undefeated streak for 28 consecutive matches. They will face Argentina in the final at MetLife Stadium on July 15.