Colombia reaches Copa finals after 1-0 win, chaos as fans clash later

Colombia, led by James Rodríguez, have won the second semi-final of the Copa América, though the victory was overshadowed by riots after the match.

The team won despite having to play the whole second half with only 10 men. "We made history that night," said a visibly moved Rodríguez after the final whistle.

The winning team will face Argentina, with superstar Lionel Messi, in the finals, after Colombia won 1-0 (1-0) against Uruguay at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina in the US south-east.

After the furiously-fought game on Wednesday, Uruguay striker Darwin Núñez and other players ran into the stands surrounded by Colombian fans.

A video shows the 25-year-old Liverpool FC striker punching a man in a yellow jersey.

The South American football association Conmebol condemned the riots.

Colombia's victory gives them the chance to win their second Copa title. They have only ever won once, 23 years ago, in 2001.

Uruguay missed out on a clash between the record winners and defending champions Argentina. So far, both teams have won the Copa America 15 times.

The match for third place is on Saturday, with Canada competing with Uruguay.

Colombia outnumbered from the second half on

The match heated up shortly before the half-time whistle when Jefferson Lerma scored from Rodríguez's corner in the 39th minute to gain a 1-0 lead.

It was Rodríguez's sixth assist in the tournament, surpassing Messi's previous record.

Shortly afterwards, the Colombian Daniel Muñoz was sent off with a yellow card.

Fouls and interruptions initially dominated the second half. Outnumbered, Colombia increasingly retreated into their own half, while Uruguay exerted more and more pressure.

A shot on the post by Luis Suárez, who only came on as a substitute in the 66th minute, was just one of many chances but ultimately, Colombia managed to hold onto their narrow lead.