The U.S. U-23 National Team entered Tuesday night with visions of punching their tickets to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, but it was not to be as Colombia earned a 2-1 result in Frisco, Texas to claim the two-match playoff 3-2 on aggregate.
Chicago Fire midfielder Matt Polster started and played the full 90 minutes for the U.S. for the second consecutive match.
#USAvCOL Matchcenter: Lineups, Stats, Commentary
The Americans had recorded an admirable 1-1 road result Friday in Barranquilla, Colombia, setting up a scenario in which a win or a 0-0 draw Tuesday would send the U.S. through to Rio. But their away goal advantage was erased in the 30th minute when Colombia's Roger Martínez broke through to give the visitors their first goal of the match.
Twelve minutes after halftime, however, the U.S. pulled level at 2-2 on aggregate when a long ball sent into the penalty area was misdirected into the net off the head of Colombia defender Deiver Machado.
But the level scoreline proved to be shortlived. In the 64th minute, Machado atoned for his mistake, whipping a ball to the penalty spot and onto the foot of Martínez, who calmly finished his chance for his second goal of the night and a 3-2 Colombia lead on aggregate.
The second away tally for the visitors left the U.S. chasing two goals in the game’s final 25 minutes. But a pair of sending-offs -- first a second yellow card for midfielder Luis Gil and later a red shown to defender Matt Miazga -- dashed hopes of a U.S. comeback and ultimately their hopes of a place in this summer's Olympic Games.
Polster and fellow U.S. U-23 teammate Brandon Vincent are expected to rejoin the Men In Red Wednesday. The Fire return to MLS regular season competition Saturday, hosting the Philadelphia Union at Toyota Park (4 p.m. CT, CSN Chicago).
