While favorites Argentina and Brazil struggle for form, Chile and Peru are awakening from years of slumber at the Copa America after moving to the brink of the quarter-finals on Friday.
Peru won the last of their two South American championships in 1975 in the halycon days of the gifted Teofilo Cubillas, who would go on to prove a star turn at the 1978 World Cup.
Chile, meanwhile, have been bridesmaids at four finals, but never the continental bride.
That may change if promising starlet Alexis Sanchez has his way.
The Barcelona target scored to land a precious 1-1 draw with fancied Uruguay and leave the Chileans with four points — surely enough in practice to start looking forward to the last eight, while Friday’s rivals have work to do after a second straight draw.
Peru are joint top of Group C with the Chileans, having earned four points of their own after Paolo Guerrero’s second goal of the tournament saw off inexperienced Mexico 1-0 in Mendoza.
With both joint leaders having held Uruguay and defeated the Mexicans, regular special guests at the South American event, Peru and Chile can look forward to a Pacific “clasico” on Tuesday with the pressure largely off.
A draw will send both sides through, while Uruguay will likely have to beat Mexico to ensure their own passage.
A third straight draw would leave Diego Forlans’ Charruas, like Argentina chasing a record 15th title, perched on the precipice.
Sanchez, who plays for Italy’s Udinese, came to the event trying hard to put aside reports of interest in his talents from European champions Barcelona.
However, his instinctive finish just after the hour mark to level Alvaro Pereira’s opener eight minutes into a lively second half served to underline the talent of the 22-year-old from Tocopillo.
Chile coach Claudio Borghi is emerging as the would-be purist at the championships as his side have turned in some of the most entertaining soccer compared with the sterile fare of the hosts and Brazil, who yesterday were scheduled to meet Paraguay and were looking to improve on a shock draw with Venezuela.
“I prefer to draw playing in this fashion than to win playing badly,” Borghi said after seeing the Chileans end their encounter all-square.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez saluted Sanchez’s finishing skills.
“The goal came following a -defensive mistake of ours, but Sanchez, who is a great player, took advantage,” Tabarez said.
Argentina coach Sergio Batista, meanwhile, told reporters his team would come good after draws with Bolivia and Colombia.
Fans have started to get on the team’s back with Lionel Messi in particular failing to shine and Batista told Fox Sports he recognized that “people have the same expectations of us as we do. We know we have to turn things around.”
Batista said that Messi, well below his Barcelona form, would come good.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
RSS