Colombia and the defending champion Argentina will square off on Sunday night at Miami Gardens, Florida's Hard Rock Stadium. The Albiceleste want to become the 16th team to win the Copa in history and join Spain, who did so from 2008 to 2012, as the only nations to win three consecutive major championships.In a 1-0 victory over Uruguay on Wednesday night, Colombia advanced to the Copa America final against Lionel Messi and Argentina despite playing a man short for the entirety of the second half. Jefferson Lerma scored the game's first goal in the 39th minute. 

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Colombia edges into Copa America summit clash, beats Uruguay by a 1-0 lead 

With one more game than in 1992–1994, Colombia's unbeaten run now stands as the longest in men's international soccer history at 28 games. After receiving his second yellow card in stoppage time in the first half, Daniel Muñoz was sent off, but Colombia managed to advance to the championship for the first time since winning their lone Copa title as hosts in 2001.

Uruguay went behind for the first time in the tournament in front of a predominantly pro-Colombian crowd of 70,644, which filled Bank of America Stadium with yellow jerseys and flags. Lerma headed in James Rodríguez's corner kick from close range, outpacing José María Giménez to score his second goal of the tournament and third goal for his country. 

Uruguay's Mathias Olivera reacts after Colombia's Jefferson Lerma scored the opening goal in a Copa America semifinal soccer match in Charlotte, N.C. | Image: AP 

In the 31st minute, Muñoz was given his first yellow card by Mexican referee César Ramos for a careless slide tackle on Maximiliano Araújo. He then received his second yellow card for elbowing Manuel Ugarte in the stomach. In the 55th minute, Rodríguez received a yellow card for arguing with Ramos after Darwin Núñez's kick on Richard Ríos' shin failed to stop play. 

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Luis Suárez entered the game in the 66th minute and missed a shot in the 71st. Out of disgust, he buried his hands in his head. Wanting a goal badly, Uruguay moved Rochet up the pitch in the last minute. But all efforts went in vain as Uruguay fails to advance.

(With AP Inputs)
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