Matt Turner repeatedly dropped to the ground in frustration, the American goalkeeper visibly upset as he punched the ground.

A defensive breakdown by Antonee Robinson and lackluster defensive efforts from Johnny Cardoso, Tim Weah, and Cameron Carter-Vickers resulted in four goals, leading to a humiliating 5-1 loss to Colombia in a warm-up match for the Copa América on Saturday.

“I want to apologize to the fans,” Turner stated. “That’s not the standard we set for ourselves. We need to come back strong from this.”

This defeat marked the first time the Americans had suffered a four-goal loss since a 4-0 defeat in a 2016 World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica, which led to the dismissal of coach Jürgen Klinsmann by US Soccer. Additionally, it’s the first time since 2009 that the USMNT has conceded five goals in a single match on home soil.

“After the 75th minute, I believe there was a lack of respect for our opponent and for the game of soccer in general,” commented coach Gregg Berhalter after the game. “We can’t view this as a lesson learned; it needs to serve as a wake-up call.”

Colombia took an early lead in the sixth minute through Jhon Arias after a deflection fell to him following Robinson’s attempted clearance. Rafael Santos Borré doubled the lead with an impressive overhead kick in the 19th minute, marking the first time the US had conceded two goals in the opening 20 minutes since March 2016.

Although Weah narrowed the deficit to 2-1 in the 58th minute, a turnover by Cardoso led to Richard Ríos’ goal in the 77th minute, followed by Weah’s giveaway to Jorge Carrascal in the 85th and Carter-Vickers’ errant pass to Luis Sinisterra in the 88th.

“While there were some positive moments in the game,” Berhalter reflected, “the 5-1 result is simply unacceptable.”

Colombia stretched their unbeaten run to 22 matches and their winning streak to seven. The USMNT is still searching for their first victory against a top-25 team in the FIFA rankings outside of Concacaf since Berhalter assumed leadership in 2019.

“Everyone needs to take a hard look at themselves after that match and figure things out,” Turner remarked. “They just approached the game with a level of intensity that we didn’t match.”

The USMNT has suffered six defeats and managed two draws against Colombia since 2005, and they haven’t won any of their last five matches against South American opponents since 2019.

“It’s definitely a learning opportunity for all of us,” Weah commented.

Colombia is scheduled to play Bolivia in a friendly match in Denver on June 15 before entering the Copa América group stage against Paraguay, Costa Rica, and Brazil. There’s a possibility that the US and Colombia could meet in the quarter-finals.

In front of a predominantly Colombian crowd wearing yellow jerseys at Commanders Field, the American players wore jerseys with rainbow numbers in honor of Pride Month.

For the first time in US history, all 11 starters represented clubs in England, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France. Out of 143 starting positions available since the 2022 World Cup, only six have been filled by Major League Soccer players in the 13 matches played by the full pool, including three out of 99 since Gregg Berhalter returned as coach.

Colombia opened the scoring in the sixth minute when James Rodríguez delivered a pass that deflected off the sliding Robinson’s left leg to Arias. Arias evaded Tim Ream and slotted the ball past Turner from six yards out.

In the 19th minute, Colombia doubled their lead after Rodríguez played a short corner kick to Arias, who provided the cross. Despite Tom Ream’s attempted clearance with a header, Mateus Uribe redirected the ball back into the box. From five yards out and with his back to the goal, Santos Borré executed an overhead kick with his right foot, sending the ball bouncing past Turner to his left.

The US will face Brazil in a friendly match on Wednesday in Orlando, which will serve as their final warm-up game before the Copa América.

“There are some glaring issues that need to be addressed if we want to compete at this level,” Berhalter noted. “Players need to fulfill their roles and responsibilities, and unfortunately, we didn’t do that.”

Liverpool winger Luis Díaz has excelled at the club level, but his impact on the international stage has been even more remarkable, elevating his game to new heights on several occasions. With his dazzling dribbling skills and knack for scoring last-minute winners, he has emerged as the symbol of Colombian football in recent years. His memorable brace against Brazil last November secured a historic qualifying victory in Barranquilla.

Díaz truly made his mark on the international scene during the 2021 Copa America. Scoring four goals in the tournament, he was second only to Lionel Messi in terms of goals scored. His acrobatic goal against Brazil, followed by an equalizer against Argentina in the semi-finals, and a brace in the third-place match against Peru, all contributed to Colombia’s success.

Despite Díaz’s individual brilliance, it’s evident that he now has a more talented supporting cast around him. Emerging talents like Crystal Palace’s right-back Daniel Muñoz, Palmeiras midfielder Richard Ríos, and Bologna defender Jhon Lucumí have bolstered Colombia’s squad in recent times, indicating that their success is not solely reliant on one player.