Uruguay's Late Penalty Secures Draw Against 10-Man Colombia

 Uruguay's Late Penalty Secures Draw Against 10-Man Colombia

Camilo Vargas and Darwin Nuñez of Uruguay react with referee Piero Maza during a FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Colombia and Uruguay at Roberto Melendez Metropolitan Stadium on October 12, 2023 in Barranquilla, Colombia.(Image-Getty)

Uruguay managed to secure a hard-earned 2-2 draw against a 10-man Colombia in their World Cup qualifier, courtesy of a late penalty from Darwin Nunez. Initially trailing in the first half due to a goal by James Rodrigez off Rafael Santos Borre's assist in the 35th minute, Marcelo Bielsa's team demonstrated resilience by equalizing shortly after halftime through Mathias Olivera's header from a corner.

Despite Colombia regaining the lead five minutes later with a Mateus Uribe strike from another Borre cross, their hopes for a victory were dashed when goalkeeper Camilo Vargas received a second yellow card in the 87th minute for a foul on Maximiliano Araujo, resulting in a red card and a penalty for Uruguay.

Alvaro Montero substituted for winger Jhon Arias and took over the goalkeeping duties, but was unable to stop Nunez's successful conversion of the penalty kick.

As the dust settled, Colombia and Uruguay retained their respective positions in the CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, holding the third and fourth spots. Meanwhile, other key matches on the same day included Bolivia versus Ecuador, Argentina hosting Paraguay, Chile facing Peru, and Brazil taking on Venezuela, contributing to the intense competition within the South American qualifiers.