Colombia overpowers US in Copa America warmup match

LANDOVER, Md. — Colombia scored three goals in an 11-minute span late in the second half to rout a sloppy United States 5-1 on Saturday in a Copa America warmup match.

Jhon Arias, Rafael Santos Borré, Richard Ríos, Jorge Carrascal and Luis Sinisterra scored for Colombia, which has won seven straight games and is unbeaten in 22.

Tim Weah got a 58th-minute goal for the U.S., which has six losses and two draws against the Colombians since 2005.

Giveways by Johnny Cardoso, Weah and Cameron Carter-Vickers led to the final three goals.

Since a 5-1 loss to Czechoslovakia in the 1990 World Cup, the U.S. had given up that many goals only in a 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

Colombia remained unbeaten since a 1-0 defeat at Argentina in a World Cup qualifier on Feb. 1, 2022.

The U.S. faces Brazil in another friendly on Wednesday at Orlando, Florida, then plays its Copa America opener on June 23 followed by matches against Panama and Uruguay. The U.S. is among six invited guests to the tournament, South America’s championship.

Colombia meets Bolivia in an exhibition at Denver on June 15, then is in a first-round group with Paraguay, Costa Rica and Brazil. The U.S. and Colombia could meet in the quarterfinals.

The U.S. is winless in its last five games against South American opponents, including three draws, since a 1-0 win over Ecuador in 2019.

Before a majority pro-Colombian crowd clad in yellow jerseys at Commanders Field, American players wore rainbow numbers on their jerseys for Pride Month.

Colombia went ahead in the sixth minute when James Rodriguez threaded a pass that went off the left leg of a sliding Antonee Robinson to Arias. He took a touch to get clear of Tim Ream and from 6 yards beat Matt Turner over the goalkeeper’s left shoulder to the near post for his second international goal.

Colombia doubled the lead in the 19th after Rodriguez played a short corner kick to Arias, who crossed. Ream headed the ball in a clearance attempt, and Mateus Uribe headed the ball back in front. With his back to the goal from 5 yards out, Santos Borré leaned back as he jumped and with his right foot made an overhead kick that sent the ball in on a hop to Turner’s left for his sixth international goal.

The U.S. had not given up a pair of goals in the first 20 minutes since a 2-0 loss at Guatemala in a March 2016 World Cup qualifier.

Weah, a son of Liberia president and former FIFA Player of the Year George Weah, scored his sixth international goal.

For the first time in American history, all 11 starters played for clubs in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France. Just six of 143 starting positions have been filled with Major League Soccer players for the 13 matches the full pool has been available since the 2022 World Cup, including three of 99 since Gregg Berhalter returned as coach.