BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -Jorge Luis Pinto was fired as coach of Colombia on Tuesday, less than a week after its second straight defeat in World Cup qualifying.
The unanimous decision of the Colombian Football Federation was announced by president Luis Bedoya, who also hired Pinto in December 2006.
Eduardo Lara, the coach of Colombia's Under-17 team, was named as interim coach.
Colombia started this month as the last unbeaten team with the best defense in South American qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. Then the "Cafeteros" lost to Uruguay 1-0 at home and 4-0 in Chile, their first defeat to Chile in qualifying in 11 years.
Colombia was sixth in the standings after eight matches with 10 points, seven behind leader Paraguay. The pair meet in Bogota on Oct. 11.
Colombia hasn't been to the World Cup since 1998, and finished sixth in qualifying in 2006. Only the top four qualify directly to the World Cup while the fifth goes to a playoff.
After coaching clubs to titles in Colombia and Peru, Colombian-born Pinto led Costa Rica to the Central American championship in 2005 then was fired two months later during World Cup qualifying.
He took over Cucutiva Deportivo and led it to its first Colombian league championship before taking over the national team.
After winning five of seven friendlies, Colombia disappointed in last year's Copa America, bowing out in the group stage with only one win. But in World Cup qualifying, it beat Argentina in going undefeated in its first six matches until this month.
