1 of 3 | United States forward Chris Wondolowski (R) high-fives United States midfielder Clint Dempsey. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI |
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PHILADELPHIA -- Clint Dempsey scored for the second time in as many matches as a 10-man United States squad won Group A and sealed a spot in the Copa America quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Saturday.
The win, which came despite DeAndre Yedlin's 48th-minute dismissal, marked the first-ever consecutive wins in the tournament for the United States. By virtue of Costa Rica's 3-2 upset victory over Columbia later Saturday, the U.S. team finished atop the Group A standings on goal differential.
The United States will play its next match on Thursday in Seattle against the Group B runner-up.
Paraguay exited the tournament having scored just once in three group matches.
Dempsey now has twice that number of goals after scoring in the opener of the Americans' 4-0 victory over Costa Rica on Tuesday in Chicago.
Against Paraguay, Dempsey struck in the 27th minute on a sequence created when Gyasi Zardes made a run down the left flank.
After beating two defenders, Zardes hit a cross toward the penalty spot, where Dempsey reached it and guided in a left-footed finish on his first touch.
Yedlin was dismissed by referee Julio Bascunan after he picked up a second yellow card in as many minutes for fouling Paraguay's Miguel Almiron.
Paraguay pressured until the end but couldn't break through, with U.S. goalkeeper Brad Guzan making six saves.
Costa Rica 3, Colombia 2
Costa Rica beat Colombia for the first time since 1980, relegating the Colombians to second place in Group A behind the United States.
With a spot in the quarterfinals already secure, Colombia rested its top players at the start and Costa Rica took advantage immediately, scoring less than two minutes into the match on a strike from Johan Venegas from outside the box.
Colombia tied the score in the seventh minute, but Costa Rica went back ahead in the 34th minute when Colombia's Frank Fabra inadvertently sent a cross into his own goal. Celso Borges boosted the lead to 3-1 in the 58th minute on a cross from Bryan Oviedo.
Juan Cuadrado, one of Colombia's top players, was inserted in the second half and sent a cross to Marlos Moreno for a goal in the 73rd minute, but Costa Rica held on for the stunning upset.
