Charlotte to host Colombia, Uruguay in Copa America semifinal

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International soccer is returning to Charlotte on Wednesday — this time without much local flavor.

Last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup saw the U.S. men’s national team beat Trinidad and Tobago, 6-0, in the Queen City with North Carolina native Gianluca Busio scoring. But with the U.S. already eliminated in the group stage of this year’s CONMEBOL Copa America, Colombia is set to take on Uruguay in the tournament’s semifinal at Bank of America Stadium.

While Charlotte has regularly played host to men’s and women’s international games over the course of the last decade or so, including two group stage games in last year’s Gold Cup, Wednesday’s Copa America semifinal will be the most prestigious match in the stadium’s history.

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Copa America is the oldest international continental tournament in the world and was first held in 1916. The South American competition has occasionally added other teams, traditionally from North America, to fill out the field. The U.S. is hosting the competition for the second time after 2016’s Copa America Centenario, which celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the inaugural tournament.

United States forward Christian Pulisic (10) controls the ball against Uruguay defender Mathias Olivera (16) during the first half of a Copa America match at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 1, 2024. (Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports) Jay Biggerstaff Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports

Six North American teams participated in the group stage of this year’s Copa America. Only Canada has advanced to the semifinals. It will take on reigning World Cup champions Argentina in New Jersey on Tuesday while Charlotte will play host to an intriguing matchup between Colombia and Uruguay on Wednesday.

Colombia topped Group D with wins over Costa Rica and Paraguay as well as a 1-1 tie with Brazil before pummeling Panama, 5-0, for a spot in the semifinals. Saturday’s victory extended an unbeaten streak that spans back to March 2022 to 27 matches.

Colombia could continue that spell and break the record for the nation’s longest undefeated run ever on Wednesday, which would likely give it a chance to win just the second Copa America in the country’s history; its first came in 2001.

Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez (10) fights for the ball with Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta (8) during the CONMEBOL 2024 Copa America tournament Group D match between Brazil and Colombia at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 2, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) Patrick T. Fallon TNS

To get there, Colombia would have to take down the joint-most successful team in the history of the tournament in Uruguay. Despite its population of 3.4 million people, the small South American nation has long been a soccer powerhouse and boasts 15 Copa America titles, with its most recent triumph coming in 2011.

Uruguay finished atop Group C with a trio of victories against Bolivia, Panama and the U.S. Despite receiving a red card late in Saturday’s quarterfinal, Uruguay topped Brazil in a penalty kick shootout to book its spot in the semifinal.

Uruguay midfielder Federico Valverde (15) celebrates after defeating Brazil in a penalty shootout at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jul 6, 2024. (Lucas Peltier/USA TODAY Sports) Lucas Peltier Lucas Peltier/USA TODAY Sports

Both teams boast their fair share of superstars who have already made a huge impact throughout the tournament, with former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Everton player James Rodriguez scoring once and adding five assists in four games for Colombia. Liverpool forward Luis Diaz has scored twice so far for Los Cafeteros.

Diaz’s club teammate, Darwin Nunez, has also scored a pair of goals in four games for Uruguay, while Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has been crucial to La Celeste throughout the tournament. A backline led by Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo conceded just one goal in four games, but the defender is unlikely to play on Wednesday after leaving Saturday’s quarterfinal with an injury.

The matchup between two of the competition’s favorites will continue a summer of soccer in Charlotte, where the Copa America third-place game will take place Saturday at Bank of America Stadium. In addition to its normal MLS regular season schedule, Charlotte FC will host Mexican side Cruz Azul on July 31 in the Leagues Cup group stage.

Bank of America Stadium will also play host to a friendly between Chelsea and Real Madrid on Aug. 6, with Columbia, South Colombia, also hosting a friendly between Manchester United and Liverpool on Aug. 3.

More professional soccer is on the way too, with Carolina Ascent set to start its inaugural season in the USL Super League on Aug. 17 against DC Power FC at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Meanwhile, the most tenured professional club in the Queen City — USL League One side Charlotte Independence — currently sits in the playoff spots near the halfway point of its regular season.

While Charlotte soccer fans will get plenty of opportunities to watch high-level soccer across the city this summer, Wednesday’s Copa America semifinal between Colombia and Uruguay might be the largest and most historic occasion of them all.

QUICK HITS FOR CHARLOTTE’S COPA AMERICA SEMIFINAL

When: Wednesday, July 10 at 8 p.m.

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Uptown Charlotte

How to get tickets: Tickets for Wednesday’s semifinal on Ticketmaster range from $200 for obstructed view seating to more than $1,200 as of Monday. Tickets start at approximately $130 for Saturday’s third-place game. More information on tickets and what you can bring inside the stadium can be found here.

How to watch: FOX Sports 1/Fubo in English. Univision/TUDN for Spanish broadcast.

Nicky Wolcott recently graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and is interning with The Charlotte Observer’s sports section for the 2024 summer. He also covers high school sports for The Washington Post and was selected to cover Super Bowl LVIII as an intern with the Sports Business Journal earlier this year. He was a sports editor for two years at The Diamondback, Maryland’s independent student newspaper.

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Source link : https://amp.charlotteobserver.com/sports/soccer/article289806824.html Author : Publish date : 2024-07-09 05:30:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source .

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