Early in the morning of the 11th, Colombian soccer superstar Jim Lodiguez once again showed his miraculous assist to help his team beat Uruguay by a narrow margin of 1-0, successfully advancing to the showdown with Argentina. The "J God" has assisted his team six times in this tournament, surpassing the brilliant achievement of the United States, and was honored as the best assist leader of the Americas in a single tournament, opening up new territory for the road to the showdown.
At the beginning of the match, Colombia was in high spirits, repeatedly testing the opponent's defense with long-distance shots. However, Uruguay's counter-attack was more destructive. In the 17th minute, a low shot from inside the penalty area by Dawuniunis went wide of the post. The Liverpool striker followed suit with a series of missed chances, including a threatening close-range shot and a difficult shot from inside the area. Colombia's Zuan Goduba also went close with a header.
Uruguayan midfielder centerpiece Bintangua unfortunately left the field with an injury in the 34th minute. Only five minutes later, Colombia seized the opportunity to open the scoring with a header from midfielder Tsefachen after a pinpoint corner kick delivered by James Lodiguez. Colombia had a chance to increase their lead, but midfielder Richard Rios' shot was saved by Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Lotgetti.
Toward the end of the first half, Colombian right back Daniel Montrose was forced off the field after receiving a red card in a retaliatory move. The match resumed with Colombia outnumbered and with a slightly conservative defense strategy. Uruguay seized the opportunity to attack. D'Avignonis created confusion in the opponent's defense, but his one-footed shot was too high and he lost the chance to score.
In the five matches of the tournament, Colombia won four and drew one, with James Rodigues scoring one goal and adding six assists to his team's success in the final. The 32-year-old's career has suffered a downturn in recent years and he was even released from his contract by Greek side Olympiacos and Qatari side Al Reen. Last summer, he joined Barclays Premier League giants Sao Paulo and his form has picked up. According to analysts, he is set to shine in the Americas, with six assists so far, surpassing the former Mez's record of five.
