GLENDALE (Arizona): Carlos Bacca’s first-half goal was enough to give Colombia a 1-0 victory over the United States in the third-place playoff at the Copa America Centenario on Saturday.

The winning goal came after half an hour when Colombia forged a well-worked move down the right with Juan Cuadrado slipping the ball inside to James Rodriguez, who chipped forward for Santiago Arias to head across goal for Bacca to slide home.

The US, beaten 4-0 by Argentina in the semi-finals on Tuesday, rallied desperately to get back into the game but ultimately were frustrated by some superb goalkeeping from David Ospina.

Bobby Wood came closest when he hit a post in the 62nd, one minute after Colombia’s Cuadrado hit the underside of the crossbar.

Both teams finished a man short, when American defender Michael Orozco and Colombian defender Santiago Arias were ejected for a confrontation in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

It was the second time the US had been beaten by Colombia in this tournament. The Colombians also defeated them 2-0 in the tournament’s opening match.

Colombia finished third, their highest finish since 2001, while the host nation took fourth place, matching their best ever finish in the tournament.

US coach Jurgen Klinsmann bemoaned his team’s inability to finish off any of the several chances created throughout.

“Ultimately they were clinical,” Klinsmann told reporters. “They took their one chance in the first half — we couldn’t take ours. There were enough chances for us to put one in but we just weren’t clinical enough and the players know that.”

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2016