Uruguay reach Copa America final
Luis Suarez scores twice as Uruguay, seeking record 14th title, beat Peru to advance to Sunday’s final in Buenos Aires.
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| Uruguay’s Luis Suarez sets up his second goal to lead his team to the Copa America finals in Argentina [Reuters] |
Uruguay are through to the final of the Copa America following a 2-0 win over Peru that keeps them on course for a record 14th title in the world’s oldest international football tournament.
Liverpool star Luis Suarez scored both second goals in La Plata to send the Uruguayans through to a meeting on Sunday with the winners of Thursday’s second semi-final between Paraguay and Venezuela.
“It was a very tough game in the first half and we lacked a little clarity though we kept trying to make chances,” said Suarez.
Referring to a more cagey affair against Copa America hosts and arch-rivals Argentina in the previous round, he told broadcaster TyC Sports: “This was a game where we had to come out and attack and fortunately that’s what we did.”
After a bright start by Peru, with Luis Advincula looking lively in midfield, Uruguay increasingly found their feet and began to boss the encounter.
Diego Forlan set up the first goal in the 53rd minute, taking a long, low shot that Peru keeper Raul Fernandez dived to his left to save. But Suarez swarmed on the rebound and sent the ball into the open net from a sharp angle with Fernandez sprawled on the ground.
Suarez struck again five minutes later when he took a pass near midfield that split two defenders, then broke for goal. When Fernandez came out to stop him, he stepped around to his right and rolled the ball into an open net.
Peru’s Juan Vargas was shown a red card in the 69th minute.
Peru had its best scoring chance in the 84th when Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera leaped high to stop Paolo Guerrero’s long shot. The ball slipped from Muslera’s hand, but he covered up quickly just inches from the goal line.
Peru were the worst team in South American World Cup qualifiers just a year ago, but have been one of the surprises of the South American championship despite the absence of the team’s top two forwards, Jefferson Farfan and Claudio Pizarro.
Brazil and Argentina, the continent’s heavyweights, both lost on penalties in the Copa America quarter-finals.