Paraguay were glum at the win that got away, while Venezuela were elated at a rise-off-the--canvas draw at the Copa America on Wednesday.
Paraguay were seemingly home and dry and potentially on their way to winning Group B when they led 3-1 after having gone a goal down early on.
However, Venezuela did not give up, snatching a draw in a pulsating finale.
Photo: AFP
They can instead go into the last eight on a high, while the Paraguayans were left to feel glum after a third straight draw.
The three points earn them a passage to the last eight as their goal difference was superior to the third finisher in Group A, Costa Rica.
Yet coach Gerardo Martino felt deflated afterwards — especially as it was almost a case of deja vu, his side having also let slip a lead at the death against Brazil.
“This is a step back for us — but Venezuela showed a lot of character to come back,” Martino said. “Against Brazil we were superior and drew and tonight we weren’t so good and we drew again.”
Venezuelan coach Cesar Farias, who will doubtless be on the receiving end of some congratulatory messages from uber-fan Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saluted his charges.
“We thought this would be a very difficult group, that maybe we might go through — but in third place. But we came through unbeaten,” Farias said.
Farias offered reporters a 15-minute lecture after the match, upset that his team is often written off as the weakest in Latin America.
Striker Nicolas Fedor, who scored his side’s second goal before Grenddy Perozo’s brave diving header deep into stoppage time, also lauded the Vinotinto, who are through to the quarters for the second time in succession — but the first ever on foreign soil.
“Above all, we showed we are growing mentally, as despite being down, we kept on pushing and trying to save the situation,” said the forward from Spain’s Getafe, brought on as a sub for Yohandry Orozco on 67 minutes. “I don’t know if a draw is a fair outcome but you can say it was a draw we really fought for and when you work hard you get your reward.”
“We can’t explain this,” Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios said of Venezuela’s late comeback. “In five minutes, they scored two goals. We leave with a sour taste in our mouth.’’
Venezuela had opened the scoring at the Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena with striker Jose Salomon Rondon’s right-footer from the top of the area in the fourth minute.
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
The Canterbury Crusaders edged the Waikato Chiefs 16-12 in an intense Super Rugby Pacific final battle in Christchurch yesterday to claim their 15th title in 30 years of the Southern Hemisphere competition. Hooker Codie Taylor scored a try and Rivez Reihana contributed 11 points from the kicking tee as the most dominant team in Super Rugby history extended their perfect home playoff record to 32 successive matches since 1998. The Chiefs, who were looking for a first title since 2013, scored first-half tries through George Dyer and Shaun Stevenson, but were unable to register a point after the break and fell to
REUNION: Former Barcelona players Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Miami coach Javier Mascherano are to face their former coach Luis Enrique Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi faces a tantalizing reunion with former club Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup last 16 after both sides on Monday progressed to the knockout phase. Miami drew 2-2 with Palmeiras to go through second in Group A, after the Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to seal top spot. They now face an all-Brazil clash against Botafogo, who lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid, but progressed from Group B in second at the expense of the Spaniards. Champions of Europe PSG won the group with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders, paving the