We continue with more Copa América action as we head into the weekend, and now we turn our attention to Group D, which was still very much up for grabs coming into the night. Here is what has happened so far.
Colombia 3-0 Costa Rica
Scorers: DÃaz 31′, Sánchez 60′, Córdoba 63′
Colombia cruised into the quarter-finals, thumping a previously stubborn Costa Rica side.
Costa Rica had already shown that they would be a tough nut to crack when they held Brazil to a goalless draw last time out, and they were proving equally tough against Colombia to start the night.
While Los Cafeteros pushed for the opener, the Costa Rican reaguard stood tall until the half-hour mark when a rush of blood to the keeper’s head gifted Colombia the chance to snatch the lead.
For some reason, Patrick Sequeira came rushing out of his goal to close down a Colombian attacker, but he clattered into that attacker in the process to force the referee into awarding a penalty-kick. Up stepped Luis DÃaz to coolly dispatch the spot-kick.
It was much of the same after the restart, as Colombia pushed for the second goal that would give them an unssailable lead, and they found that breathing room thanks to Davinson Sánchez, who headed home form a corner on the hour-mark.
The floodgates appeared to open from there and it only took three minutes for Jhon Córdoba made the most of his start by getting in behind the Costa Rica defence thanks to a line-splitting James RodrÃguez pass before firing home the third on the night.
Still to come
More to follow
