LANDOVER, Md. — There are days when fans of the U.S. men’s soccer team watch their favorite players shine for clubs that matter in Europe, and dream of the day when they come together and lift their country.

Then there are days like Saturday, when they came together and fell thoroughly flat.

Colombia took an early 2-0 lead on the Americans with two easy goals, from Jhon Arias in the sixth minute and Rafael Santos Borré in the 19th, and mostly cruised from there to a 5-1 rout.

Tim Weah scored the Americans’ goal with their one true highlight play of the day in the 58th. But Colombia stayed on the gas pedal, and charged on to goals from Richard Ríos in the 77th, Jorge Carrascal in the 85th and Luis Sinisterra in the 88th.

In an early hole

It didn’t take long for Colombia to assert its superiority. Their opening goal needed only a patient buildup, a slip by Antonee Robinson, a slow reaction by Tim Ream, and a slammed finish from close range by Arias.

The second goal was just as bad: a short corner kick, a cross that the U.S. failed to clear, and a second chance where Jefferson Lerma overpowered defensive midfielder Johnny Cardoso and right back Joe Scally — the latter of whom is under a microscope with usual right back Sergiño Dest out injured.

Lerma’s header went to Borré, who was wide open even amid the traffic, and he flung himself up for a bicycle kick finish.

The U.S. was able to conjure up a few half-chances in the first half, but only produced one shot on target. In the middle of the period, many of the Colombian fans in the crowd of 55,494 started chanting “USA, Colombia es tu papa!” — Colombia is your father — and they would chant it many more times in the game.

There wasn’t much of a case to argue with them.

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