Colombia Defeats Venezuela in U-20 Beach Soccer Championship

Colombia concluded the group stage of the U-20 South American Beach Soccer Championship undefeated, clinching the top spot in Group A with a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Venezuela on August 27. The win marked Colombia's fourth consecutive triumph in the group phase.

Sebastián Córcega and Jerry Rivera scored Venezuela's goals in the match. Rivera continues to lead Venezuela's scoring with five goals in the tournament, followed by Córcega with three. To secure first place in the group, Venezuela needed to defeat Colombia by at least nine goals, a feat they fell short of, finishing with a +6 goal difference compared to Colombia's +17.

Despite the defeat, Venezuela had already secured their place in the semifinals prior to the match, having qualified on August 26. Their performance in the group stage saw them score thirteen goals and concede seven. Colombia, meanwhile, demonstrated a strong offensive presence, netting 27 goals while allowing 17.

Venezuela's semifinal opponent will be Brazil, the leader of Group B. The match is scheduled for Saturday, August 29. Colombia will face Paraguay in the other semifinal. This loss to Colombia ended Venezuela's three-game winning streak, which included victories over Peru (6-3), Chile (2-1), and a clean sheet against Argentina (3-0).