Uruguay had a numerical advantage when Colombia’s Daniel Munoz was dismissed at the end of the first half, but they failed to capitalize on it.Darwin Nunez squandered three excellent scoring opportunities early in the match, curling one effort inches wide and failing to hit the target with two other attempts.
Uruguay paid the price for their profligacy when Lerma outjumped the defense at a corner and directed his header past goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, with James Rodriguez claiming his sixth assist of the tournament.
Colombia’s situation worsened when right back Munoz received a second yellow card for elbowing Manuel Ugarte in the chest during a stoppage in play.
In the second half, Uruguay dominated possession, and coach Bielsa introduced Luis Suarez in the 67th minute. The experienced striker nearly made an immediate impact, but his shot struck the post, leaving him frustrated.
Colombia had a golden opportunity to seal the victory in the 88th minute when they regained possession in Uruguay’s box, but Mateus Uribe’s low shot missed the target. Uribe had another chance in added time, but his deflected shot hit the crossbar.
Colombia, who have now gone 28 games unbeaten, held on for a memorable victory and will face Argentina in the final on Sunday. Uruguay, meanwhile, will compete against Canada in the third-place playoff a day earlier.
