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Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald, via Associated Press
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Eight minutes into the first match of Copa América, the Colombians started to dance.
They needed only that little time to notch a precipitous opening goal against the United States, which moved them to perform a coordinated, swaying celebration near the northwest corner flag at Levi’s Stadium. Their rhythm and spirit barely wavered as they cruised to a 2-0 victory on Friday night.
The match opened the South American championship, which is being played in the United States this year to mark its 100th anniversary. It also represented an early setback for the United States and Coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who had said the team’s goal in the tournament was to emerge from the group stage. The road ahead is somewhat easier for the Americans, who play Costa Rica on Tuesday and Paraguay on June 11.
They were always expected to face a steep challenge from Colombia, the world’s No. 3 team,…
