Four years after losing to Uruguay in the Copa America quarter-final, Argentina broke their penalty jinx to beat Colombia 5-4 in one of the most thrilling and dramatic penalty shootouts to book their place in the last four of the tournament.
It took 95 minutes, 16 shots and 14 penalty kicks, but Carlos Tevez netted the winning penalty to take Argentina a step closer to winning their first major title since the 1993 Copa America.
The scheduled time of 90 minutes went goalless and Tevez, who had just returned to Boca Juniors, scored on Argentina's seventh penalty after Lucas Biglia and Marcos Rojo had both missed opportunities to claim victory from the spot in Vina del Maron on Friday.
After having a good show in the World Cup, Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina gave one of his best performances ever to force Lionel Messi and Co to the shootout.
The Arsenal star made a double save in the 26th minute when he denied Sergio Aguero with his foot before scrambling to palm Lionel Messi's follow-up header around the post, with both shots coming from inside the six-yard box.
Just ten minutes from full time, Ospina pushed a Nicholas Otamendi header onto the post and the ball was scrambled clear after it rolled along the goal line.
The penalties were eventful and the first six spot-kicks all found the net before Luis Muriel blasted one over the bar on Colombia's fourth shot.
Ezequiel Lavezzi scored off the post on Argentina's fourth shot and Romero almost denied Cardona on the fifth but the midfielder's penalty squeezed under him before Biglia missed a chance to seal victory for his team as the shoot-out went into sudden-death mode.
Dramatically, the next three penalty-takers failed to score with Romero stopping Zuniga before Rojo clipped the bar and Murillo made a poor effort.
Tevez was calm and converted his penalty to book Argentina's last-four clash against either Brazil or Paraguay.
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