La Celeste's hopes of landing a record-breaking 16th title were ended by a 1-0 loss in Charlotte, and it will subsequently face Canada in the third-place play-off.

After the match, footage shared on social media showed La Celeste players climbing into the stands at Bank of America Stadium when family members were caught up in violence involving Colombia supporters.

CONMEBOL has opened an investigation into the incident but, when asked whether he feared facing sanctions, Bielsa insisted his players should receive an apology rather than punishment.

"You know whose responsibility it is to protect the fans in the stands," he said angrily at a press conference to preview the Canada match.

"You have to ask me whether the players have received an apology from those responsible for safeguarding security.

"How can you not defend your mother, your sister, a baby?!" If they did not do it, they would have been condemned by all of us.

"The sanction does not have to be for the footballers, but for those who forced them to act like that. This is a witch hunt. It is a shame.

"You should have asked me if we have received an apology, not if I fear sanctions. Here, the message was we cannot defend your family, and we cannot allow them to flee. What sanction are they talking to me about?"

Defender Sebastian Caceres concurred with Bielsa that he and his team-mates responded in an instinctive manner.

"What happened after the game is something that anyone would have done," he said. "I went up to check that my family was OK, and I tried to take a team-mate with me so that it wouldn't continue."