Distasteful scenes took place after the full-time whistle in the game between Colombia and Uruguay at the Bank of America Stadium.
Reports indicate that a group of Colombian fans were abusing, attacking, and throwing things at the families of the Uruguayan players, who occupied the same section as the supporters.
Uruguay 0-1 Colombia
Marcelo Bielsa’s side were beaten by Colombia 0-1 courtesy of a fabulous header by Jefferson Lerma in the 39th minute following a well-delivered cross by James Rodriguez.
Despite going a man down in stoppage time of the first 45 minutes, Nestor Lorenzo’s side managed to exit the game with the needed victory.
Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz was the man who was dismissed in added time for a second bookable offense after he was shown a yellow card in the 31st minute.
Players Of Uruguay Defend Themselves After Their Families Were Attacked By Fans Of Colombia
Moreover, according to reports, the mother of Paris Saint Germain star Manuel Ugarte was taken to the hospital due to the appalling occurrence.
The mother of Real Madrid star, Federico Valverde, apparently ran to go get Ugarte’s mom in order to prevent a horrible situation.
Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez confirmed the reports, whilst sharing that the police were “nowhere to be found”.
Gimenez further revealed that the cops arrived at the scene of the incident nearly half an hour later after fans targeted the families of the footballers leading to them defending themselves.
A viral footage circulating across social media shows Liverpool star Darwin Nunez being restrained by the police, as he tried to have a go at a fan, who had a part to play in the unfortunate incident.
Nunez was not the only player part of the scuffle, with Uruguayan attacker Maximiliano Araujo alongside La Liga duo of Valverde and Gimenez amongst others also seen there.
The encounter between Colombia and Uruguay was immensely competitive, as both teams played their hearts out for a ticket to the final.
Uruguay had been stellar at the 2024 Copa America thus far but they met a more determined, resolute, tactical alongside technical Colombian side.
Who Will Colombia Play In The Final Of 2024 Copa America?
Nestor Lorenzo’s side will battle Argentina in the final of the 2024 Copa America at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States on Monday, July 15, 2024, by 01:00 AM.
Certainly, the encounter promises to be highly combative with both teams expected to put their all on the table in search of continental glory.
There were about 9 yellow cards dished out by referee Cesar Ramos, with 2 out of the 7 resulting in Munoz being sent off.
Matches in the Copa America are often filled with heavy tackles and show of physical might and such, the semi-final also offered fans the usual scene.
Marcelo Bielsa Takes Responsibility For Uruguay’s Semi-final Loss To Colombia
Speaking with reporters after the game former Leeds United boss, Marcelo Bielsa, took responsibility for his side’s defeat.
He said: “Uruguay was in a clear condition to win this match if you assess the individual talent in each squad.
“I manage the team that, in my opinion, had the stronger individual talent vis-à-vis the opponent, and we weren’t able to make the difference that I thought we were going to make if you compared both formations.
“I am personally liable for not achieving the result, despite having these players that were capable of being superior to the opponent.”
Bielsa also noted Uruguay’s inability to take advantage of their one-man advantage, saying:
“We were not able to seize our extra man advantage, and when a team wins with less individual talent, logically, the manager that is coaching the weaker team shows that he is superior than the coach that had the best players.”
