Colombia made short work of Costa Rica in the second group match of the Copa America by remaining unbeaten in a series of 25 matches in a row. The country thus qualified for the eighth finals of the tournament.
And with that, James Rodriguez & Co. have cemented themselves as the team to beat in the tournament.
Colombia started well and took the lead in the 31st minute through Liverpool winger Diaz, who converted convincingly from the penalty spot after Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira had fired the ball over striker Jhon Cordoba in the penalty area.
As Costa Rica pushed for an equaliser, they left themselves open on the break and Colombia made them pay, with Sánchez heading home from a corner in the 59th minute before Cordoba wrapped up the scoring three minutes later (62′) after being played through on goal from Rodriguez.
Colombia top their group with six points after two games, ahead of Costa Rica and Brazil, who have one point each. Brazil will play Paraguay later on Friday. The victory was Colombia’s tenth consecutive win in all competitions and maintained an impressive run of 20 wins and five draws since March 2022, with their last defeat coming in a 1–0 loss to Argentina in February 2022.
Colombian players cheered after extending their team’s lead against Costa Rica to 3-0 on Friday
Former Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez scored a header in the 59th minute to put Colombia ahead 1-0
James Rodriguez, Colombia’s captain, provided an assist for his team’s third and final goal
Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo has yet to see his team lose since taking charge in 2022
Colombia had possession (66 percent) in the opening win over Paraguay (2-1) and did so again in Phoenix, Arizona, against Costa Rica (62 percent).
The crowd also played a big part in the 3-0 victory for Los Cafeteros, with 27,386 pro-Colombian fans turning up at State Farm Stadium.
Costa Rica was the first big surprise of the tournament, drawing 0-0 with nine-time Copa America champions Brazil despite losing 18-2.
Colombia will now test themselves against the best by taking on Brazil in their final Group D match, although some starters may be rested due to the team’s qualifying status.
Costa Rica will need a win against Paraguay to maintain their hopes of reaching the round of 16.