Copa America 2024: Brazil Advances to Quarterfinals After 1-1 Draw with Colombia

Brazil and Colombia played an exciting 1-1 draw in California on Tuesday, setting up a thrilling Copa America quarter-final clash between Brazil and Uruguay.

Colombia, who topped Group D with seven points, will face Panama in the quarterfinals.

The match saw Daniel Munoz score for Colombia in the first half, canceling out an early free kick from Brazil’s Raphinha. This result extended Colombia’s unbeaten streak to 26 matches, although it ended their 10-match winning streak.

Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo expressed satisfaction with the performance. “It was a match we all wanted to play to measure ourselves in a good moment for the team. I think we took another step forward today,” he said. “With Brazil, you cannot neglect the team even for a second. The feeling is one of satisfaction against a complicated opponent and now we are going to think about Panama.”

Brazil defender Marquinhos admitted the team still has room for improvement. “We have to be honest with ourselves, we still have a lot to grow, a lot to improve, especially in these big games,” he said.

The match lived up to its hype, with both teams playing aggressively from the start. In the first fifteen minutes at Levi’s Stadium, Vinicius Jr received a yellow card for accidentally striking James Rodriguez while fighting for a loose ball. This booking means Vinicius will miss the match against Uruguay.

James Rodriguez nearly scored from the resulting free kick, hitting the crossbar. However, Raphinha stole the spotlight in the 12th minute with a stunning free kick that gave Brazil the lead.

Colombia thought they had equalized when Davinson Sanchez headed in a cross from Rodriguez, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR review.

Brazil appealed for a penalty in the 42nd minute when Munoz brought down Vinicius in the box, but replays showed that Munoz got a touch on the ball.

Just before halftime, Jhon Cordoba found space and played a perfect through ball to Munoz, who scored to level the match.

Despite the intense California heat, both teams maintained their high energy after the break. Raphinha nearly scored again from a free kick in the 59th minute, but his shot went just wide.

Colombia also had opportunities to score in the second half, with the best chance falling to substitute Rafael Borre, who missed from close range.

In the final moments of the match, Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas made a crucial save to deny Brazil substitute Andreas Pereira’s long-range effort, ensuring the game ended in a draw.