Ramos strike gives Colombia win over Costa Rica

Striker Adrian Ramos gave Colombia a 1-0 win over 10-man Costa Rica that put them top of Group A after their first match at the Copa América.

Ramos beat the offside trap to run onto a through pass from winger Fredy Guarin, round goalkeeper Leonel Moreira and put the Colombians ahead seconds before halftime.

Colombia lead the group with three points ahead of hosts Argentina and Bolivia who have one point each after their 1-1 draw on Friday in the tournament's opening match in La Plata.

With less than half an hour gone, Randall Brenes, one of the more experienced players in a young Costa Rica side, was shown a straight red card after a hard tackle on defender Luis Perea.

Colombia dominated after a bright start by Costa Rica and had their first clear opportunity in the 12th minute when Radamel Falcao headed down a cross and Guarin hit a powerful shot that Moreira stretched to send for a corner.

Moreira made several more good saves to limit Colombia, whose passing was often wayward, to a narrow winning margin.