Colombia’s First Major Title: The 2001 Copa America

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The 2001 Copa América saw Colombia create history by winning the trophy for the first time. They also didn’t concede a single goal in the tournament. Though hosts of the competition, winning the Copa América was further proof of the Colombians’ rise as a football nation.

The 2001 Copa América: A Chance For The Underdog Brazil Shocked At the tournament in 2001, there was a chance for an underdog to shine after one of the traditionally strongest teams, Argentina, withdrew from the competition due to safety concerns. Then when reigning champions Brazil lost 2-0 to Honduras in the quarter-final, the 2001 Copa América was looking like it might have an unlikely winner.

Colombia, A Growing Force Colombia had qualified for the World Cup in Italy in 1990 and subsequently reached the knockout stage for the first time. That was only the Colombians’ second appearance at a World Cup. Their first had seen them crash out in the group stage in Chile in 1962, though they did get a notable 4-4 draw against then-European champions, the Soviet Union.

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The flamboyant midfielder Carlos Valderrama would be the lynchpin of the Colombian side through most of the 1990s. He was also involved in one of the greatest matches in Colombia’s history when they won 5-0 against Argentina in Buenos Aires in a World Cup qualifying match in September 1993.

Through To The Semi-Finals Comfortably At the 2001 Copa América, Colombia were in Group A. They breezed through their group defeating Venezuela 2-0 in their opening match in Barranquilla. Ecuador were then beaten 1-0 before the hosts wrapped up their group games with a 2-0 win over Chile.

In the quarter-finals, Peru offered stiff resistance against the Colombians, with the hosts having to wait until after half-time to achieve the breakthrough. Striker Víctor Aristizábal scored twice as Colombia won 3-0.

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An Unlikely Hero Honduras, fresh from beating Brazil, were Colombia’s opponents in the semi-final in Manizales. An early goal by Gerardo Bedoya put the hosts in control. Bedoya was an unlikely goalscoring hero, as he had a fearsome reputation as a defensive midfielder in his playing career.

He holds the record for the most dismissals in the history of the professional game – red carded a remarkable 46 times. Aristizábal then settled the nerves for the hosts with a second goal with less than half an hour remaining.