Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina saves a shoot-out penalty from Uruguay’s Jose Gimenez during the 2021 Copa America quarter-final<\/strong><\/p>\n
Goalkeeper David Ospina was the hero as Colombia beat Uruguay on penalties in Brasilia on Saturday to reach the Copa America semi-finals.<\/p>\n
Ospina saved two spot-kicks in the shoot-out on the day he earned his 112th Colombian cap, moving clear of the previous national record he shared with the iconic Carlos Valderrama.<\/p>\n
There was little to report in a drab 0-0 draw over the regulation 90 minutes before the quarter-final tie went straight to penalties.<\/p>\n
It took almost half an hour for either goal to be threatened and when it was — Duvan Zapata<\/a> found a yard of space to force a save out of goalkeeper Fernando Muslera — the Colombia striker was flagged offside.<\/p>\n
Both Zapata and Cavani were proving a nuisance for their opponents’ defenses and it was the burly Colombian<\/a> whose determination created a chance for Luis Muriel<\/a> on the stroke of halftime, but his teammate for club and country lashed well wide.<\/p>\n
Uruguay’s Nahitan Nandez<\/a> came closest yet to breaking the deadlock early in the second half with a misdirected cross that Ospina had to tip away from the top corner.<\/p>\n