James Rodriguez stole the show with a goal and two assists as Colombia breezed into the Copa America semi-finals after brushing Panama aside with a 5-0 thrashing on Saturday.
Colombia captain Rodriguez teed up Jhon Cordoba's opener and Luis Diaz's cool lob either side of his own 15th-minute penalty at State Farm Stadium.
Richard Rios hammered home another after 70 minutes in bizarre circumstances after the referee appeared to blow for a Colombia penalty, then Miguel Borja converted when Nestor Lorenzo's side were awarded another spot-kick in stoppage time.
Having dispatched Panama with ease, a semi-final meeting with either Brazil or Uruguay awaits for Colombia, who have reached the last four in three of their last four Copa tournaments.
Colombia needed just eight minutes to open the scoring as Cordoba found space inside the six-yard box, diving low to head Rodriguez's right-sided corner past Orlando Mosquera.
Jose Fajardo blazed over in response but Lorenzo's side would soon extend their advantage only seven minutes after taking the lead.
Panama goalkeeper Mosquera felled the onrushing Jhon Arias, with a lengthy VAR check reviewing a potential offside in the build-up before the penalty decision was confirmed.
Yet that stoppage failed to detract from Rodriguez's focus as the attacking midfielder hammered into the top-right corner from 12 yards, sending Mosquera the wrong way.
Panama almost halved the arrears soon after, though Edgardo Farina's header from Eric Davis' free-kick cannoned against the left post before Camilo Vargas somehow parried away on the line.
Thomas Christensen's side suffered further damage just before the break as Rodriguez's quick-thinking free-kick from inside his own half set up Diaz to lob the stranded Mosquera from just outside the Panama box.
Panama provided a battling performance of some sorts in the second half, yet for the wrong reasons as numerous fouls slowed the game down with Jovani Welch and Farina both cautioned.
Daniel Munoz was then felled as the referee appeared to blow his whistle and point to the penalty spot, only for Rios to arrow into the bottom-right corner from range to make the advantage count.
Christensen and the Panama bench cut frustrated figures following that odd refereeing sequence, and that annoyance furthered when Borja slotted a stoppage-time penalty into the bottom-right corner after Jose Cordoba clumsily hacked down Santiago Arias.
Who can stop Rodriguez-inspired Colombia?
Lorenzo's men are now a remarkable 27 games unbeaten after their dominant victory, though a huge test awaits them in the semi-finals against either Uruguay or Brazil.
Yet both of those sides may be no match for Colombia if Rodriguez's imperious form is anything to go by.
The Sao Paolo midfielder is the first player in the Copa America to both score and assist within the opening 15 minutes of a match, since such records began in 2011.
Rodriguez is also the first player at the 2024 edition to reach six goal involvements (one goal, five assists), ahead of Argentina's Lautaro Martinez and Venezuela's Salomon Rondon (both four).
The Colombia captain's five assists are three more than any other player so far at this Copa. Will that creativity lead Lorenzo's side to glory?
Panama pain
The 2024 edition of the Copa America marked only Panama's second participation, with this their first instance of making the knockout stages.
Panama may have been confident for this one, too, having won four of their previous seven competitive meetings this century against CONMEBOL sides (three defeats).
Indeed, two of those victories came against Colombia (both at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup), and Christensen's team impressed this year in Group C to pip the United States to second.
Yet they were brought crashing back down to earth here, with no way back after a first-half blitz from an imperious Colombia side.
Nobbs makes record-breaking WSL appearance as Aston Villa lose to Brighton
Aston Villa's Jordan Nobbs is now the outright leader for Women's Super League appearances after playing her 193rd game.
The midfielder started on Saturday, though she could not help Villa avoid a 4-2 defeat to Brighton, who were inspired by full debutant Nikita Parris.
While Nobbs could not mark her special day with a victory, there can be no taking away from the 31-year-old's achievement.
Nobbs' tally includes eight appearances in the WSL Spring Series. Before Saturday, she was level with Chelsea's Sophie Ingle, who is out injured.
She has started 158 games in total, and taken part in a hugely impressive 124 wins - only now-retired Stephanie Houghton has won more WSL matches (127).
Nobbs has scored 58 goals in the competition, a figure bettered by just six players, while only eight players have provided more assists than her 31. She has created 312 goalscoring chances for her team-mates, with Beth Mead (339) having crafted more.
The majority of Nobbs' appearances came for Arsenal, as she played 157 times for the Gunners. Saturday's loss at Brighton marked her 36th WSL match for Villa, who she joined in 2023.
Her 21 starts in the 2016-17 campaign, meanwhile, has marked the most matches she played in from the off during a single season.
Nobbs, who has won 71 caps for England, has won the WSL on three occasions (2011, 2012 and 2018-19), winning the FA Cup four times.
Simeone: No negativity in Atletico Madrid camp
Diego Simeone has dismissed claims of negativity surrounding Atletico Madrid following their resounding 4-0 Champions League defeat to Benfica in midweek.
Los Colchoneros are unbeaten in LaLiga after eight matches, winning four and drawing four, sitting five points behind leaders Barcelona, ahead of Sunday's trip to Real Sociedad.
However, they were trounced by Benfica in their second match in the Champions League's new league phase on Wednesday, the first time they had shipped four goals in a Champions League group-stage game since October 2020 (0-4 at Bayern Munich).
"I don't think that there is a negative climate. I believe our atmosphere is good and we are working towards the team we want to have," Simeone told reporters on Saturday.
"There are players who arrived in the last days of the transfer window, and they are acclimatising.
"From our position, we need to help them adapt as quickly as possible so the team can take shape swiftly. I don't see that as negativity at all."
Atletico bolstered their squad with new signings Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez ahead of the new campaign, and Simeone is still waiting for his players to gel.
"I didn't see the team lacking commitment or intensity, but rather a lack of creative play and resources ... Let's see if we can win against Sociedad," Simeone added.
Motta: Juventus players will 'give something more' after Bremer injury
Thiago Motta believes the Juventus players will "all give something more" for Bremer after he suffered a potentially season-ending injury.
The Brazilian, who had played every single minute this season, was forced off with an anterior cruciate ligament injury early in their 3-2 Champions League win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
He has played a big part in Juventus keeping six clean sheets from six games in the league and has played more minutes (540) while making the most interceptions (six) and blocks (11) among his team-mates in the competition.
Motta expects him to be a big miss against Cagliari at the weekend.
"Gleison [Bremer] is an important player for us," Motta said. "I'm very sorry for the boy, because already, humanly speaking, he is fantastic, technically I don't need to say it, we all know it.
"From now on we will all give something more, also because if it had been another team-mate who had to stop like that, I am convinced that he would have taken this responsibility to give something more every day."
Motta will also be without forward Timothy Weah, winger Nicolas Gonzalez, midfielder Vasilije Adzic, along with long-term absentee Arkadius Milik, but the manager expects a positive show from the players who come into the side.
"Whoever comes in, I am convinced they will give something more," Motta said.
"Always thinking about the well-being of the team and giving a good performance to obtain the positive result, which is what we want to do.
"Tomorrow, in our stadium, our home, in front of our fans, a full ground, a great football atmosphere and we will do our job well from the first to the last minute."
Juventus impressed in Europe, recovering not only from early injuries to Bremer and Gonzalez, but also from going behind twice, and having keeper Michele Di Gregorio sent off.
Now, Motta wants his side to keep that enthusiasm without getting carried away.
"The enthusiasm, used well, is always good, and we use it to work," the manager said.
"We use it to come to the pitch every day and do our job well. This is the great advantage of being able to work with enthusiasm.
"It helps, and we want to maintain that enthusiasm, but it only depends on us. We will always have our feet on the ground, aware of our strengths, and using our strengths in the right way."
French midfielder Paul Pogba had his four-year doping suspension cut to 18 months on Friday, meaning he can return to action in March, but Motta's only concern is the immediate future of his team.
"On Paul Pogba, the club will evaluate what to do," Motta said.
"As for me, Pogba has been a great player, who hasn't played for a long time. Now I'm focused on tomorrow's game and everything else doesn't matter much to me at this moment."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
