U.S. team falls in Copa America opener

Cristian Zapata and James Rodriguez scored before halftime to send Colombia to a 2-0 win over the United States on Friday night in the opening match of the Copa America Centenario in Santa Clara, Calif.

Rodriguez, the scoring leader of the 2014 World Cup, later departed in the 72nd minute after sustaining an apparent injury to his left shoulder.

DeAndre Yedlin committed the handball that led to Rodriguez's penalty kick, which helped send the U.S. team to the bottom of the Group A standings.

Paraguay and Costa Rica square off in the group's other opening match on Saturday in Orlando, Fla. After a three-match round robin, the top two teams in each of the tournament's four groups advance to the quarterfinals.

Zapata put the Colombians in the lead in the eighth minute, making a darting run to meet Edwin Cardona's corner kick and send in a 10-yard volley past goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Colombia doubled its lead 34 minutes later on Rodriguez's penalty kick after Yedlin's handball was ruled to be deliberate.

As Sebastian Perez sent in a cross from the left, it curled around Yedlin's body and then struck his arm tucked behind him. Referee Roberto Orozco Garcia pointed directly to the spot despite protests from the Americans.