OMNISPORT 

As distant as fourth place might seem from first in Copa America Centenario, it did not seem terribly far from third.

Is that enough of a consolation for the United States men’s national team to take from a consolation game?

The U.S. lost to Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America third-place game Saturday night in Glendale, Ariz., which was half the deficit for the Americans when these two teams opened the tournament in California more than three weeks ago. And they seemed to play twice as well, but ultimately could not find a goal to counter the game-winner delivered by forward Carlos Bacca late in the first half.

The Americans outshot Colombia, 10-9, and possession was split almost evenly. The Americans pushed hard for a tying goal that would have forced a penalty shootout, but Colombia’s withdrawn defense made it difficult to find room for an ideal shot and its ability to control the ball after winning it cut down on the time available to create that chance.

It was the third time in six games of the tournament the U.S. was shut out, but this was nothing like the embarrassment that occurred Tuesday night in Houston when Argentina threw a 4-0 pounding at the Americans.

With Jermaine Jones, Alejandro Bedoya and Bobby Wood back from the card suspensions that cost them an opportunity to play the semifinal against Argentina, coach Jurgen Klinsmann continued his emphasis on older, more experienced players. Promising young midfielders Darlington Nagbe and Christian Pulisic were left on the bench.

The only changes to the lineup, aside from giving veteran Tim Howard a chance to play in goal for the fourth time in the past two years, were those forced by injury. Klinsmann didn’t insert any sub until the 74th minute, when he sent on Pulisic for Bedoya, and Pulisic was immediately livelier, more involved and more dangerous.

Nagbe came on for captain Michael Bradley five minutes later, long after Bradley had taken a hit to the knee that seemed to bother him for the remainder of the time he played. He hadn’t left a competitive U.S. game before the full 90 in five years. Nagbe’s short appearance was less productive. The Americans trusted their last real chance to him, when they were awarded a free kick 22 yards from the goal in stoppage time. But Nagbe’s kick, apparently designed to find a teammate’s head, instead floated directly to the Colombian keeper.

Once again, Klinsmann’s roster decisions impacted the Americans’ chances. He chose not to include capable outside back Eric Lichaj on the squad, nor center back Omar Gonzalez coming off a championship season in Liga MX.

So when defenders John Brooks and Fabian Johnson were too injured to play in a third-place game — one wonders if they might have been available had the U.S. reached the final — he inserted Michael Orozco at left back. Orozco has played for the U.S. at center back and on the right, but rarely in the position he filled against Colombia.

Colombia worked to attack that area of the field, particularly with winger Juan Cuadrado, and it paid off with a goal in the 31st minute. He made a beautiful save along the right sideline and sent it back toward James Rodriguez, who floated a beautiful pass toward right back Santiago Arias. He slipped past Bedoya and got enough of the ball to send it across the goal to Bacca, who guided it inside the left post.

Facing less intense defensive pressure, the U.S. maintained more possession than in the Argentina loss. There were a few decent chances to draw even in the final 10 minutes of the first half, but things really heated up for the U.S. in the first 10 minutes of the second.

In the 51st minute, forward Clint Dempsey drew a foul in the middle of the field outside the penalty area. With the option to shoot to either side, Dempsey picked out a spot in almost the same area as Lionel Messi found to beat Brad Guzan in the semifinal. Almost was the key word there. Dempsey’s beautiful shot curled back inside the post by about a foot, and David Ospina extended his body to deflect the ball out for a corner.

On that corner kick, Dempsey got clear for a free header but put it over the bar. The U.S. had another chance a minute later when Wood managed a beautiful takedown of a long forward ball, then fed Gyasi Zardes for a shot that flew too high.

It looked as though the U.S. was going to tie the game in the 62nd minute. Wood fought off a strong challenge that wasn’t far from earning a penalty kick. Wood fought to his feet, fired a shot and hit the right post.

Wood slipped into the area again in the 67th minute, but he wasn’t able to get through the defense cleanly and the ball slipped aside to Dempsey, who tried to score with the outside of his right foot but hit it wide.

“I think we should have won. We played well. We had great chances,” Howard told Fox Sports after the game. “I think we took steps in the right direction. We’ve got a lot of things to build on. We played them tough tonight. Better than we did the first time.