USA 0 Colombia 1: Carlos Bacca seals third place in Copa America Centenario for Tricolor
First-half tap-in from Milan forward enough to beat Jurgen Klinsmann's hosts into fourth place in Arizona
CARLOS BACCA'S first-half goal was enough for Colombia to see off USA and seal third place at Copa America Centenario.
The AC Milan striker converted from close range on the half-hour mark at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The 29-year-old's strike secured a third-place finish for the fourth time in Colombia's history having previously done so in 1987, 1993 and 1995.
Bobby Wood came closest to scoring for the US when he hit a post in the 62nd, one minute after Colombia's Juan Cuadrado hit the underside of the crossbar.
USA matched their previous best finish in the tournament, when they lost to Colombia in the 1995 fourth-place game at Uruguay.
After the Americans lost to Jamaica in the semi-finals of last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup and struggled in the semi-final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann was hoping his team would rebound in the Copa this summer.
Both teams finished a man short, when American defender Michael Orozco and Colombian defender Santiago Arias were sent off for a confrontation in the 93rd minute.
Klinsmann opted to start 37-year-old Tim Howard in place of Brad Guzan, who had started the previous nine games.
Matt Besler was in central defence instead of John Brooks, who was out with a knee, and Orozco was at left-back after Fabian Johnson missed out with a sore groin.
Midfielders Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya returned to the lineup along with Wood after the three served one-game suspensions.
Colombia scored after Cuadrado, from along the right flank, cut the ball back to James Rodriguez, just outside the penalty area.
Arias made a run to get by Bedoya, and Rodriguez lofted a pass to Arias, who jumped at the edge of the six-yard box and headed the ball across Howard's goal to Bacca.
The forward slid ahead of Yedlin to nudge the ball in for his 13th international goal and his second of the tournament.
Clint Dempsey nearly scored a free-kick in the 51st minute as USA pushed for an equaliser.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina dived to his left to tip Dempsey's effort wide and preserve Colombia's lead.
All attention now turns to the main event at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night when Argentina take on Chile in the final.
