David Ospina Is Copa America Star for Disappointing Colombia in Argentina Defeat

ESTADIO SAUSALITO, VINA DEL MAR — That David Ospina ended up on the losing side was unjust, but the idea of Colombia winning on penalties against Argentina seemed inappropriate, too.

The Arsenal goalkeeper had the game of his life, but despite keeping the score 0-0 for 90 minutes, his side fell 5-4 on penalties.

Argentina deservedly marched on to the semi-finals—where they may end up facing archrivals Brazil—while Los Cafeteros were sent packing.

Meanwhile, Ospina was left to wonder how, despite two phenomenal instances of goalkeeping and a clean sheet, his side had been eliminated.

Ricardo Mazalan/Associated Press

Let's get one thing straight: Colombia do not deserve to be in the Copa America semi-finals. With the exception of their match against Brazil, they have played poorly.

They lost 1-0 to Venezuela in their first game before beating Brazil by the same score in their second. A goalless performance against Peru left Colombia at the mercy of the team they had just beaten, and in the final group game, Brazil beat Venezuela 2-1 to send Jose Pekerman's men through in third place.

That was how they came to find themselves up against Group B winners Argentina in the last eight, where their tournament ground down to a halt.

Ricardo Mazalan/Associated Press

With just one goal in four matches, this Colombia were a far cry from the force we saw at the World Cup. That's in part to the poor form of Radamel Falcao—who was finally dropped for this game—and an overall malaise.

One player who did not let the team down was Ospina. And if Chelsea's Petr Cech, who is set to sign for Arsenal, according to the Daily Mail, was watching, he'll know he will face fierce competition between the sticks at the Emirates Stadium.

Ospina was the game's outstanding player in Vina del Mar, pulling off some spectacular stops to keep Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and company at bay.

Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press

His best moment came in the first half as Argentina pushed to break the deadlock. Aguero fired low from close range toward the near post, and Ospina got down well to deny him, with the ball fizzing up into the air.

Who was there to meet it but Messi, the world's best player on current form. He headed the ball toward the goal, surely into the net, but there was Ospina again, completing an outstanding double save.

An Argentinian journalist in the press box compared it to England goalkeeper Gordon Banks' wonder stop against Pele in the 1970 World Cup, and he wasn't far off.

But that wasn't all. As well as darting out to deny Javier Pastore and Di Maria, Ospina anticipated Messi's searching passes and made another unbelievable save with 10 minutes to go.

Ricardo Mazalan/Associated Press

Nicolas Otamendi also deflected a corner kick toward the goal, but Ospina stretched as far as he could, tipping the ball off the post.

Argentina could barely believe what they had seen. Nobody in the stadium could. How had La Albiceleste not scored? If not on this occasion, one of the other chances?

The answer is Ospina. But even he was not enough to make amends for terrible penalties from Luis Muriel, Jeison Murillo and Juan Zuniga, which eventually consigned Colombia to elimination.