Colombia scored three times in 11 minutes late in the second half to earn a 5-1 win over the U.S. men’s national team on Saturday in Landover, Maryland.
With their first Conmebol Copa América match scheduled for June 23, the Americans apparently still have a lot of work to do. They conceded two goals in the opening 19 minutes and didn’t get on the board until the 58th, when Timothy Weah fired a right-footed shot into the back of the net.
But Colombia responded with its three-goal burst, with all three scores being unforgivable giveaways.
A 77th-minute goal from an unmarked Richard Rios sealed the victory for the Colombians, and Jorge Carrascal scored in the 85th minute to make it 4–1 after a blatant turnover by Weah.
Luis Sinisterra scored the final goal in the 88th minute.
Weah had given the US hope when he took a through ball from Folarin Balogun and fired past goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his sixth goal in 38 games with the national team.
But as was the case throughout the match, the US played poor defense, and Sinisterra made two moves from the right side of the penalty area before spotting Rios, whose shot deflected off US defender Cameron Carter-Vickers and went past goalkeeper Matt Turner.
Jhon Arias put Colombia in front in the sixth minute with a clinical finish after an Antonee Robinson giveaway. Rafael Borre then made it 2-0 just 13 minutes later to punish the Americans for their inability to make simple clearances.
Colombia, ranked 12th in the FIFA world rankings, extended its unbeaten run to 22 matches with Saturday’s victory.
The Colombians are 14-3-5 against the US, with the last US victory coming in March 2005.
Before the US plays in the Copa America against Bolivia in two weeks, the US will play a friendly match against Brazil in Orlando on Wednesday.