Colombia fans’ pre-match euphoria proved prophetic on Wednesday night.

There were fireworks both before and during the contest.

With a Copa America final berth on the line, tempers erupted as Colombia barely clung to a 1-0 victory over Uruguay, playing the entire second half down a man but with a sea of yellow-clad fans behind them in Charlotte.

The on-field activity was compelling in and of itself.

Luis Diaz stunned with a couple mazy runs, Darwin Nunez had a night to forget (in multiple ways), and Jefferson Lerma scored the solitary goal for Colombia, who will face Argentina in the championship this weekend.

Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez had a miserable night, missing numerous wonderful chances to score.

And tempers rose during the contest, as James Rodriguez approached a referee.

But this night, when Nunez fought Colombia fans after the game, was about more than just tactical differences or team composition.

That was clear when Luis Suarez slumped to the floor after slamming the post with a second-half attempt, or when Federico Valverde punched the ground after one of Nunez’s multiple missed shots on the night.

Before kickoff, one Colombian reporter muttered a little prayer in Spanish as a vast army of yellow filled the stands at Bank of America Stadium.

The aforementioned Nunez chance on 28 minutes, which he blazed over the bar after ignoring Valverde’s run on the right, is a good microcosm for the night: the frenetic, end-to-end play was matched – and sometimes overshadowed – by the fervent emotions that pulsated in a humid Charlotte.

Several pivotal moments in the game were fueled by emotion rather than, say, bad placement or an incomplete throw.

Daniel Munoz received a second yellow card for elbowing Manuel Ugarte just before halftime, forcing his team to play a man down, while James Rodriguez yelled at a referee 55 minutes later, with an injured Richard Rios slumped in the opposite corner.

At the next dead ball, Rodriguez dashed at the referee, got in his face, and was later booked.

The yellow card didn’t do much damage, but the moment of mayhem saw Uruguay quickly return to the game, which saw 24 fouls, one dismissal, and multiple instances of star player Diaz being hacked to the ground.

Daniel Munoz reacts as Uruguay’s Manuel Ugarte grimaces in pain after being elbowed by Munoz.

Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma scored the only goal for Colombia, who are currently in the final.

After Lerma scored in the 39th minute (and Munoz came close minutes later), Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay pummelling their opponents’ goal with pressure in the second half.

In fact, judging on the audience’s shocked reaction, you could have assumed that Colombia was losing or tied when Mateus Uribe wasted two golden opportunities for the winners after coming on late.

That is the type of worry that Colombia had down the stretch, as their emotional high from the first half was erased.

After missing three chances in the first 45 minutes, including one right in the centre of the box that he somehow pulled wide, Nunez had another chance go begging when the ball became stuck in his feet in the box, before Colombia’s Camilo Vargas made a fairly miraculous diving save in the 68th minute.

There was also a (dismissed) penalty appeal, as well as a chance missed by the ever-lethal Suarez in the 71st minute, when he hit the post from somewhat right of centre.

The miss prompted him to collapse to the ground in agony, and Valverde zipped a shot wide minutes after. Nonetheless, Colombia was reeling and unexpectedly open for a team playing with a lead and missing a man.