Colombia vs. Chile: Score, Reaction from 2016 Copa America

Chile needed 11 minutes of offensive brilliance and strong defense the rest of the way to notch a 2-0 victory over Colombia in Wednesday's Copa America semifinals match at Chicago's rain-soaked Soldier Field.

Chile carried over its offensive momentum from a 7-0 quarterfinals defeat of Mexico and scored each of its two goals in the first 11 minutes. Charles Aranguiz and Jose Fuenzalida found the net for Chile, while goalkeeper Claudio Bravo repeatedly turned away Colombia's advances to secure a spot in Sunday's championship against Argentina in a rematch of last year's final:

Despite the Chile win, Colombia registered a 16-9 shot edge and barely trailed in possession, 53-47 percent, per ESPN FC. It was fitting that the possession was so tight considering Colombia is No. 3 and Chile is a close No. 5 in the official FIFA rankings.

Chile may have been the lower-ranked side, but it jumped out to a quick lead when Aranguiz buried the game's opening goal in the seventh minute. Chile pushed it up the right side and centered the ball, and the Colombia defense was unable to clear it. An ill-placed header gave Aranguiz a wide-open look right in front of the net, and he took full advantage.

Jonathan Tannenwald of Philly.com said Colombia goalkeeper "David Ospina has to take that," in reference to the header by his own defender, and Fox Soccer shared the goal:

Chile wasted little time building on that initial breakthrough and added a second goal in the 11th minute. Fuenzalida had one of the easiest chances he will likely ever see off a rebound on Alexis Sanchez's shot that hit the post, and he knocked it into the back of the net.

Rob Stone of Fox Sports noted Chile was "cooking" and had 13 goals in its last two-and-a-half games at that point. National soccer writer Steve Davis discussed the overall offensive strategy:

Colombia had an opportunity to cut the deficit in half when Roger Martinez lined up a shot from the right side in the 24th minute, but Bravo made a diving stop.

About the only downside for Chile in the opening 30 minutes was that Pablo Hernandez had to leave the contest with an injury. After he exited for Erick Pulgar, Colombia began to generate pressure and move forward. However, Bravo and the Chile defense held strong against every push and took the 2-0 advantage into the locker room.

Bravo put on a show in stoppage time with a handful of saves and halted any potential momentum Colombia had built after controlling possession late in the first half.

There was a two-hour delay at halftime thanks to severe weather in Chicago, but the players eventually returned for the second half on a wet and sloppy Soldier Field surface:

The game became disjointed with standing water on the field, but Colombia did nearly draw an early penalty in the box during a second-half attack. Tom Marshall of ESPN FC said it "should've been a penalty for Colombia," and the officiating did Colombia no favors after that when Carlos Sanchez was sent off in the 57th minute with a second yellow. 

That left Colombia facing a 2-0 deficit with only 10 men. Ospina kept the hole at two goals with a diving save in the 65th minute, but Colombia struggled to attack consistently a man down on a wet field. Copa America 2016 provided a glimpse of the conditions:

Neither team broke through with a goal in the second half, but there was some shoving and a scuffle in the 88th minute after a high and dangerous challenge from Colombia's Jeison Murillo.

It was the last fight Colombia showed, and Chile earned the chance to defend its Copa America title.

What's Next?

Chile plays Argentina, the No. 1 team in the official FIFA rankings, on Sunday in the championship match. Argentina will pose a formidable challenge, especially after it buried the United States 4-0 in Tuesday's semifinals contest behind complete dominance from Lionel Messi.

Messi scored a goal and assisted on two more in the win and controlled the proceedings from the opening minutes. 

Colombia will face the United States in Saturday's third-place game. The Americans looked lost against a strong Argentina attack, while Colombia couldn't muster up enough against Chile, so they will each need to find a way to quickly bounce back with that contest just three days away. 

While those two sides battle for third place, all eyes will be on a championship showdown between the world's top team, led by arguably its biggest star, and a red-hot Chile squad that beat Argentina on penalties in the 2015 Copa America final.

Post-Match Reaction

Colombia manager Jose Pekerman was clearly unhappy with the officiating and questioned both the second-half penalty decision and the send-off of Sanchez, per football writer Carl Worswick: "There was a crystal-clear penalty that would have changed the game. But it wasn't given, and then came the very debatable red card."

However, he conceded that Chile capitalized on Colombia's mistakes, per the Associated Press, via MailOnline: "We made some mistakes, and Chile was very effective, as they usually are."

Meanwhile, Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi hailed the positive mindset of his side, per the AP, via MailOnline: "This is a winning team. They are winners. ... Before we play a tournament, they are convinced they are going to win."