The sweetest revenge: Colombia defeats Brazil in antagonistic fixture at Copa America

Never a dull moment at the Copa America.

Nearly one year after Colombia was eliminated by Brazil at the World Cup in a tense, foul-filled quarterfinal, Los Cafeteros exacted revenge on the Selecao, inflicting a 1-0 defeat and ending Dunga's undefeated run since he was appointed as manager last summer.

Like last year's episode, Wednesday's fixture featured end-to-end football, countless fouls, and a hostile atmosphere, highlighted by a brawl after the final whistle. Neymar and Carlos Bacca both received red cards in the fight - the former for attempting to headbutt the match's lone goalscorer, Jeison Murillo, and the latter for retaliating by shoving the Brazilian phenom with considerable force.

The most notable difference between the two matches, however, was how Colombia remained composed at the back over the course of 90 minutes and contained Neymar without the need to fracture a vertebrae. That, combined with Murillo's first-ever international goal, allowed Jose Pekerman's side to exit the pitch with three points.

Here's what you need to know from the malicious match at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano:

The Goals

36th minute - Jeison Murillo, Colombia: Desperately needing points after its surprise loss to Venezuela, Colombia came into the match with a high tempo and took a deserved lead when Brazil failed to deal with a free kick taken by Juan Cuadrado. Following a bit of a scramble in the Selecao's penalty area, centre-back Jeison Murillo found the ball at his feet and slotted a shot past 'keeper Jefferson.

Man of the Match - Carlos Sanchez

Where was this type of performance at Villa Park last season?

Carlos Sanchez was a menace throughout his 90 minutes on the pitch, dictating the tempo of the game by running Colombia's midfield with an iron fist. It was one of the best individual performances of the Copa America so far, as he completely shut down the space in the middle of the pitch that Brazil loves to exploit.

The only thing that could have improved Sanchez's performance would have been if his ambitious effort in the 31st minute had found the back of the net.

The 1,000 Words

"Attempting to headbutt Jeison Murillo might not have been the best idea ..."

Stray Thoughts

• Everyone will have a differing opinion regarding what exactly transpired after the match, but it certainly appears as though referee Enrique Osses was correct in assigning a red card to both Neymar and Carlos Bacca.

• Someone from Brazil clearly responded to Bacca's shove by ripping apart the Colombian forward's shirt.

• Even David Luiz, who featured in the unfamiliar role of an unused substitute, found himself involved in the post-match brawl.

• One can only imagine what Dani Alves, whose friendship with Neymar is well-documented, was saying to Juan Camilo Zuniga after the match. Zuniga was responsible for fracturing Neymar's vertebrae last year, ending his involvement at the World Cup.
• Radamel Falcao is done. He can't score. He can't shoot. He can't hold up the play. He offers nothing to Colombia, and how Jose Pekerman continues to include him in Los Cafeteros' starting XI is mind-boggling.