SANTA CLARA, Calif. — DeAndre Yedlin pulled his hood over his head, but he made no attempt at hiding.
The U.S. national team right back was called for a penalty kick Friday when a cross from Farid Diaz ricocheted of his raised right arm, with James Rodriguez converting to give Colombia a two-goal lead late in the first half.
Standing with poise as he addressed the media after the 2-0 loss at Levi's Stadium to kick off the Copa America Centenario, Yedlin was diplomatic about the decision that largely ended his side's hope of salvaging a result.
"I think it's a 50-50 call," Yedlin said. "Obviously the ball made contact with my hand. He decided to give it, and that was his decision. So now you've got to move on from these kind of things and obviously try to get back in the game."
The call created controversy because the contact was unintentional as Yedlin turned his body away from the point-blank cross. But the 22-year-old's arm was raised in an unnatural position, giving referee Roberto Garcia plenty of justification to point to the spot.
"Sometimes your human instinct just comes out," Yedlin said. "So it happens. Obviously it's unfortunate. It's not like it's deliberate, like I tried to stop it with my hand or anything."
Goalkeeper Brad Guzan added: "I've seen those a million times not given, and I've seen them given. At the end of the day, the call doesn't go away."
Although the U.S. battled to get on the score sheet, with Yedlin overlapping with increasing vigor, Colombia held on for what ultimately was a comfortable shutout win.
The lack of a cutting edge was the Americans' undoing on a day they did manage to dictate possession. Following Cristian Zapata's early opener and Rodriguez's penalty, Colombia opted to stay compact and attack on the counter.
"They kind of sat back once they had the 2-0 lead," forward Clint Dempsey said. "It's difficult to break teams down like that. That penalty changed the game. ... You had that penalty called against you in your home country. We're used to getting those types of calls, even if it's kind of close."
The penalty was a cruel development for Yedlin, who otherwise delivered one of his more complete outings for the U.S. squad. Often shifted to outside midfield because of questions over his defensive prowess, Yedlin earned the starting right back role in the Copa America as he came off a strong campaign in defense for Premier League side Sunderland.
One key lesson Yedlin has learned in his growth as a defender? Keep a short memory.
"It's something as a professional you have to learn to move on from," Yedlin said. "Everybody has those calls. ... It's the players who can move on from that and not be affected by it and try to get their team back in the game, those are the ones that are great players. It's obviously what I try to do."
..... - Goal