CHARLES ARANGUIZ and Jose Pedro Feunzalida scored in the first half, and defending champion Chile returned to the final of South America’s championship with a soggy 2-0 victory over Colombia on Wednesday night.

    “This is a winning team. They are winners. ... Before we play a tournament, they are convinced they are going to win,” Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said.

    Led by Claudio Bravo’s stellar effort in goal, Chile earned its fourth straight win since a 2-1 loss to top-ranked Argentina in their Group D opener. Next up is a rematch with La Albiceleste on Sunday night in New Jersey.

    Chile also faced Lionel Messi and Argentina in last year’s championship, with La Roja winning 4-1 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 extra-time draw. Argentina was the last country to repeat as Copa champions in consecutive years, accomplishing the feat in 1946 and 1947.

    “We must respect, as we always have, our rivals and compete and try to win,” Pizzi said.

    James Rodriguez and Colombia got off to a slow start and their push for a comeback was hampered by a strong line of thunderstorms that delayed the start of the second half by more than two hours, drenching the playing surface and forcing the players to tread carefully for the last part of the night at Soldier Field, home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears.

    Colombia, which will face the United States in the third-place game Saturday night in Arizona, also had to play with 10 men after Carlos Sanchez received his second yellow card in the 57th minute.

    “We made some mistakes, and Chile was very effective, as they usually are,” Colombia coach Jose Nestor Pekerman said.

    Rodriguez got open for a low, hard shot in the second half that Bravo knocked down before pouncing on the ball before Colombia could get to it. Rodriguez pounded the wet turf in frustration after the play.

    Chile played without Arturo Vidal after the midfielder was suspended for a second yellow card, and midfielder Marcelo Diaz was sidelined by injury. The defending champions lost another midfielder in the first half when Pedro Pablo Hernandez departed with a knee injury following a collision near midfield.(SD-Agencies)