LYON, France, 21 June 2003 — Colombia came from behind to beat 10-man New Zealand 3-1 in Lyon yesterday and keep their alive their hopes of qualifying for the semifinals of the Confederations Cup.
New Zealand went in front when striker Raffaele De Gregorio slotted home a shot from outside the box in the 27th minute but the South American champions leveled through Jorge Lopez just before the hour.
Defender Mario Yepez gave his side the lead by netting a superb volley from 10 meters with just 15 minutes to go before midfielder Giovanni Hernandez wrapped up the match thanks to a third goal in the 85th minute. The Kiwis finished with 10 players on the field after striker Chris Killen was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 69th minute. New Zealand have yet to win a match in the eight-nation tournament. They lost 3-0 to Japan on Wednesday and in their previous appearance in 1999 they finished with three consecutive defeats. Colombia were beaten 1-0 by France in their opening match but still have a chance of reaching the last four when they take on Japan on Sunday.
