The United States men’s national team failed a friendly test from imperious Colombia that did not promise much for the upcoming Copa America, a 5-1 home humbling from Los Cafeteros leaving many wondering what the USMNT will look like against Brazil in a few days.
An increasingly-rare chance for Berhalter to add a win over a top international side following FIFA’s opponent-limiting switch to the Nations League calendar, the Yanks started and finished the game very poorly, only briefly pulling the match to 2-1 on a Timothy Weah strike before the half-hour mark.
[ MORE: USMNT vs Colombia player ratings ]
Colombia has been fantastic in recent windows, unbeaten since 2022 with wins over Brazil, Germany, Spain, and Mexico. Only the November defeat of Brazil was on home soil, and they were not worried in Landover, Maryland, on Saturday. The crowd was also very much pro-Colombia.
Jhon Arias, Rafael Borre, Richard Rios, Jorge Carrascal, and Luis Sinisterra all scored, with Sinisterra adding an assist and Juan Quintero setting up two Colombia goals. Los Cafeteros have 17 wins and five draws since a home loss to Argentina to start February 2022, a 22-match stretch which includes an 0-0 off-window draw with the USMNT to kick off 2023.
[ MORE: Copa America 2024 schedule, how to watch, dates ]
The Yanks, for their part, have fared well against quality opposition in three of their last four chances, beating Mexico 2-0, Jamaica 3-1, and Ghana 4-0 to go with a humbling 3-1 home loss to Germany. This was closer to the Colombia display.
The USMNT will be expected to beat Bolivia and Panama in the group stage of Copa America, and likely will be heavy underdogs against Uruguay and whoever they may face in the knockout rounds (probably Brazil, who is a friendly opponent on Wednesday).
WATCH USMNT vs COLOMBIA FULL MATCH REPLAY EN ESPANOL ON PEACOCK PREMIUM
Any win in one of those four tests from CONMEBOL powers wil stand out this summer, even in one of these friendlies.
Saturday was a fantastic opportunity for the U.S. It was also a failure.
When playing out of the back goes wrong
This was a bad watch from Moment No. 1, and the USMNT did not find their way into the match over the first 25-30 minutes as Colombia built a 2-0 lead and looked prepared to batter Berhalter’s Yanks.
The first half ended with a 50% possession number and an 8-6 shots advantage to Colombia. The second half included Weah’s goal and more of the ball — 56% — but the danger was all Colombia with a healthy helping of self-inflicted wounds.
Colombia put four of seven shots on frame in the second half, and huge errors from Yunus Musah, Johnny Cardoso, and their teammates stood out from a face-palm heavy finish that saw the U.S. looking at a larger number on the opposing side of the scoreboard than it has in a long, long time.
Brazil’s next, then Copa America. Time to sort out the back.
#USMNT hadn't given up five goals in any of its previous 240 games, since the 2009 Gold Cup final vs Mexico.
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) June 8, 2024
Before that, it hadn't happened since the 1990 World Cup vs Czechoslovakia.
How to watch USMNT vs Colombia, stream link and start time
Kick off: 5:30pm ET, Saturday (June 9)
Stadium: Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland
TV channels en Español: Universo, Telemundo
Streaming en Español: Peacock
USMNT vs Colombia live updates — By Nick Mendola
USMNT vs Colombia final score: 1-5
Goalscorers: Arias (6'), Borre (19'), Weah (58'), Rios (77'), Carrascal (85'), Sinisterra (88')
Luis Sinisterra goal — USMNT 1-5 Colombia
Atrocious. The Yanks keep playing out of the back and keep combining bad decisions with a lack of grit.
Too, too, too easy for Colombia.
¡¡GOLEADA HISTÓRICA!! 🤯
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 8, 2024
Luis Sinisterra entró de cambio y ya marcó el quinto para los colombianos 🖐️@USMNT 🇺🇸 1-5 🇨🇴 Colombia
EN VIVO por 📺 @Telemundo y 📱 Telemundo APP ➡️ https://t.co/6nc7awTXj6#USMNTtelemundo #FutbolUSA #USMNT pic.twitter.com/Z31exSkLKM
Antonio Carrascal goal — USMNT 1-4 Colombia (85th minute)
Yunus Musah picks a ridiculous place to try and dribble a mark, and he’s pickpocketed.
No more than a half-dozen touches later, it’s 4-1.
¡YA ES GOLEADA COLOMBIANA! 💣
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 8, 2024
Jorge Carrascal la manda a guardar y define el cuarto para los cafetaleros 😱@USMNT 🇺🇸 1-4 🇨🇴 Colombia
EN VIVO por 📺 @Telemundo y 📱 Telemundo APP ➡️ https://t.co/6nc7awTXj6#USMNTtelemundo #FutbolUSA #USMNT pic.twitter.com/RgsDc5Cm41
Richard Rios goal — USMNT 1-3 Colombia (77th minute)
The Yanks get sucked to their left flank and there’s not a midfielder in sight as Richard Rios smashes home from the heart of the box. Dreadful.
It started with a Cardoso giveaway, one of his few missteps of the game, and he followed the ball while neither of his backtracking teammates in the middle looked to mark the most dangerous area of the pitch.
¡GOOOOL DE COLOMBIA! ¡AUMENTAN LA VENTAJA! 🚨
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 8, 2024
Richard Ríos Montoya la manda a guardar y hace su primer gol con su selección ✅⚽️@USMNT 🇺🇸 1-3 🇨🇴 Colombia
EN VIVO por 📺 @Telemundo y 📱 Telemundo APP ➡️ https://t.co/6nc7awTXj6#USMNTtelemundo #FutbolUSA #USMNT pic.twitter.com/V1QbQ6aUmE
Timothy Weah goal — USMNT 1-2 Colombia (58th minute)
A really, really pretty team goal for the Juventus man.
Several Yanks get a touch on the ball as it moves from the left to the right, with Folarin Balogun’s inch-perfect entry pass met with a deserving and matching finish from Timothy Weah.
TIM WEAH!!!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸#USMNT x @VW pic.twitter.com/1NrVmPap6R
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 8, 2024
More subs and a huge save!
Cameron Carter-Vickers and Malik Tillman enter for Tim Ream and Giovanni Reyna.
Soon after, Colombia fire forward and Luis Diaz thinks he’s made it 3-1 only to be defied by a fully-extended Matt Turner.
Halftime sub
Christian Pulisic is coming off for Haji Wright, with the AC Milan star seeing his minutes managed on international duty after a career-best production — and game time — this club season.
Halftime — USMNT 0-2 Colombia
Terrible start with a pair of disappointing defensive mistakes but the Yanks looked better as the half wore into its final stages.
USMNT finished with 47% of the ball and six of the game’s 13 shot attempts so far.
It could easily be 3-2 to either team. Gregg Berhalter spoke before heading into the locker room and lamented the mistakes on the goals. Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson won’t have loved their work there, but Robinson was good going forward.
It won’t get any easier with Brazil next on the schedule, so a bright second half sure would be nice.
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Close! Pulisic off post
Christian Pulisic works a 1-2 with Antonee Robinson, in a sense, nodding Robinson’s ripped left-footed cross off the near post.
Did a diving Vargas have it covered? Maybe, but a sign of life nonetheless from the USMNT.
Wake-up call x 2 — USMNT 0-2 Colombia (20th minute)
Colombia has a dangerous free kick. Tim Ream heads the first offering into the air but neither Johnny Cardoso nor Joe Scally can beat Jefferson Lerma to the the second ball.
Rafael Borre is positioned back to goal but no problem — he pumps an overhead goal past Turner for 2-0.
Nearly a USMNT answer
Folarin Balogun is denied by a sliding goal line clearance.
It’s a terrific ball over the top of the defense from Antonee Robinson, and Balogun carries to the doorstep.
His shot beats Atlas keeper Camilo Vargas but Spurs man Davinson Sanchez does not quit and sweeps the ball out of the six.
Not a great start! Arias scores — USMNT 0-1 Colombia (6th minute)
Antonee Robinson slides to break up a Colombia entrance into the 18, but Jhon Arias is there and smashes upper near post past Matt Turner.
Los Cafeteros, 1-0.
¡YA LO GANA COLOMBIA! 🚨
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 8, 2024
John Arias aprovecha un error en la defensa estadounidense y ya lo ganan los sudamericanos ⚽️@USMNT 🇺🇸 0-1 🇨🇴 Colombia
EN VIVO por 📺 @Telemundo y 📱 Telemundo APP ➡️ https://t.co/6nc7awTXj6#USMNTtelemundo #FutbolUSA #USMNT pic.twitter.com/XJCZA3BN77
USMNT lineup
Turner, Robinson, Richards, Ream, Scally, Cardoso, McKennie, Reyna, Weah, Pulisic, Balogun
Colombia lineup
Vargas, Munoz, Sanchez, Lucumi, Mojica, Lerma, Uribe, Arias, James Rodriguez, Diaz, Borre
USMNT vs Colombia Preview: Colombia focus, team news
This team is good. Ranked 12th by FIFA’s rankings — the USMNT is 11th — and 7th in ELO ratings (U.S. 22nd), the unbeaten streak is no joke and includes 13 clean sheets.
All-time caps leader David Ospina is at the back, and the ex-Arsenal goalkeeper has a terrific group of backs in front of him. There’s Spurs’ Davinson Sanchez as well as Yerry Mina, Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace), and young Yerson Mosquera.
James Rodriguez — still somehow only 32 — captain’s the side in a midfield with Palace’s Jefferson Lerma, and the depth there is not special. It’s corrected in attack, where Liverpool star Luis Diaz is joined by Bournemouth’s Luis Sinisterra and Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.