Copa America: Champions Chile bury past ghosts

Chile 0
Argentina 0
After extra time. Chile won 4-1 on penalties.

Chile Bravo (c) - Beausejour, Medel, Diaz, Silva, Isla - Vidal, Valdivia (Fernandez 75), Aranguiz - Sanchez, Vargas (Henriquez 95). Booked Silva, Diaz, Medel, Aranguiz
Argentina Romero - Zabaleta, Demichelis, Otamendi, Rojo - Biglia, Mascherano, Pastore (Banega 81) - Messi (c), Aguero (Higuain 74), Di Maria (Lavezzi 29). Booked Rojo, Mascherano, Banega
Attendance 45,693 at the Estadio Nacional, Santiago Referee Wilmar Roldan (Colombia)
Kick-off 9pm BST. Live on Premier Sports.

Penalties 1-0 Fernandez scored 1-1 Messi scored 2-1 Vidal scored 2-1 Higuain missed 3-1 Aranguiz scored 3-1 Banega missed 4-1 Sanchez scored


HOSTS Chile secured their first ever Copa America title after beating neighbours Argentina on penalties at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago.

Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez chipped the decisive kick as La Roja made up for years of heartbreak with a 4-1 shootout victory on home soil.

Prior to the excitement of the penalties, the match had been a disappointment as Argentina - and Gonzalo Higuain in particular - endured an uneasy sense of deja vu.

It is one week short to an exact year since Argentina were beaten in extra time by Germany in the World Cup Final - and then, as in this match, Higuain missed one of very few clear-cut opportunities for either side.

The Napoli forward even compounded his error this time by blazing his penalty over the bar as Chile took control of the shoot-out.

Matias Fernandez and Arturo Vidal had already scored, with Messi replying for Argentina, when Charles Aranguiz stepped up to take Chile's third.

Aranguiz made no mistake - and so, at 3-1 down, Argentine Ever Banega clearly felt the pressure and gave Chile skipper Claudio Bravo a comfortable save.

All that was left to do for Sanchez then was score - and he did, in some style, with a glorious Panenka-style finish.

Sanchez thus added a little sparkle to Chile's success which came with the hosts almost falling over the line having enjoyed a goal-laden group phase.

True, the draw had been kind to the Chileans as they lined up against Ecuador, Bolivia, and perennial guests Mexico who sent a development squad.

And, following a 2-0 win in the tournament opener against Ecuador, Chile twice had to come from behind in a 3-3 draw with the Mexicans as Vidal scored a brace.

But, in their third group match, the hosts turned on the style to thump Bolivia 5-0 and finish the group stage as the top scorers with 10 goals.

In the other two groups, the games were generally cagey affairs - although the powerhouses, Argentina and Brazil, both eventually topped their respective sections.

Holders Uruguay - without Luis Suarez - were a disappointing and generally cynical mess, while Colombia scored just once in four games - though made it count as Jeison Murillo's goal gave them a 1-0 win over Brazil.

Ah, Brazil - formerly the spiritual home of football but, perhaps, now no more. 

Their most talented player Neymar showed his frustration at the end of that bad-tempered match and was sent off after the final whistle along with Colombia's Carlos Bacca amid a huge scuffle. 

Brazil were able to beat Venezuela without Neymar in their final group match but stodgy, defensive tactics were of no help once Dunga's men had lost the lead against an ageing Paraguay team.

Paraguay thus prevailed in their quarter final on penalties - and so Brazil were made to reflect on another poor defeat, almost one year after their humiliation against Germany.

At least the Brazilians avoided another semi final hammering as Lionel Messi and Argentina delivered the most complete performance of any side at the tournament to beat the Paraguayans 6-1. 

Remarkably, Barcelona forward Messi failed to score any of the half-dozen goals - but he played a hand in every single one.

And, though the competition would ultimately finish in more heartbreak for La Albiceleste, Argentina will retain hope of ending their 22-year drought while Messi remains in the team. 

For Chile, party time is now - though their knockout stage wins against Uruguay and Peru were not without their controversies.

Against Uruguay, Gonzalo Jara acted the villain by inserting a digit up the rectum of Edinson Cavani to prompt a reaction from the Paris Saint-Germain forward which led to his sending off. 

Shorn of Suarez and then Cavani, it was no surprise to see the defending champions bow out to the hosts thanks the Mauricio Isla's late goal.

Then, against Peru, the Chileans rode their luck somewhat, benefiting from a controversial red card for Peru’s Carlos Zambrano, the non-award of a card of any colour for Vidal when he shoved Zambrano in the face early on, and an opening goal that was marginally offside.

The impressive Peruvians, for whom Paolo Guerrero scored a hat-trick in the quarter final against Bolivia, at least recovered to take third place against a shell-shocked Paraguay.

Meanwhile, the Chileans' unsteady progress only added to the feeling that the crown was destined to be won by a host nation for the first time since Colombia's victory in 2001.

Of course, it would be churlish not to give Chile huge credit following their first international trophy after a 99-year wait.

La Roja still generally play the game in the right manner with two strikers - and, in Vidal and Sanchez, they have two outstandingly talented players.

Naturally, both they and their team-mates cannot change the grim history of the Estadio Nacional in Santiago. Notoriously, the arena was used as a prison camp and torture facility by military dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1973.

Nevertheless, this team of Chileans has done all that could be asked of it. For the first time ever, Chile are Copa America champions.

FULL COPA AMERICA 2015 RESULTS
GROUP A

12-Jun 00:30	CHILE	2-0	ECUADOR	Santiago
13-Jun 00:30	MEXICO	0-0	BOLIVIA	Vina del Mar
15-Jun 22:00	ECUADOR	2-3	BOLIVIA	Valparaiso
16-Jun 00:30	CHILE	3-3	MEXICO	Santiago
19-Jun 22:00	MEXICO	1-2	ECUADOR	Rancagua
20-Jun 00:30	CHILE	5-0	BOLIVIA	Santiago

GROUP A TABLE	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) CHILE	2	1	0	10	3	+7	7
(Q) BOLIVIA	1	1	1	3	7	-4	4
Ecuador	1	0	2	4	6	-2	3
Mexico	0	2	1	4	5	-1	2

GROUP B

13-Jun 20:00	URUGUAY	1-0	JAMAICA	Antofagasta
13-Jun 22:30	ARGENTINA	2-2	PARAGUAY	La Serena
16-Jun 20:00	PARAGUAY	1-0	JAMAICA	Antofagasta
17-Jun 00:30	ARGENTINA	1-0	URUGUAY	La Serena
20-Jun 20:00	URUGUAY	1-1	PARAGUAY	La Serena
20-Jun 22:30	ARGENTINA	1-0	JAMAICA	Vina del Mar

GROUP B TABLE	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) ARGENTINA	2	1	0	4	2	+2	7
(Q) PARAGUAY	1	2	0	4	3	+1	5
(Q) URUGUAY	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
Jamaica	0	0	3	0	3	-3	0

GROUP C

14-Jun 20:00	COLOMBIA	0-1	VENEZUELA	Rancagua
14-Jun 22:30	BRAZIL	2-1	PERU	Temuco
18-Jun 01:00	BRAZIL	0-1	COLOMBIA	Santiago
19-Jun 00:30	PERU	1-0	VENEZUELA	Valparaiso
21-Jun 20:00	COLOMBIA	0-0	PERU	Temuco
21-Jun 22:30	BRAZIL	2-1	VENEZUELA	Santiago

GROUP C TABLE	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) BRAZIL	2	0	1	4	3	+1	6
(Q) PERU	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
(Q) COLOMBIA	1	1	1	1	1	0	4
Venezuela	1	0	2	2	3	-1	3

QUARTER FINALS

25-Jun 00:30	CHILE	1-0	URUGUAY	Santiago
26-Jun 00:30	BOLIVIA	1-3	PERU	Temuco
27-Jun 00:30	ARGENTINA*	0-0	COLOMBIA	Vina del Mar
27-Jun 22:30	BRAZIL	1-1	PARAGUAY^	Concepcion

*ARGENTINA won 5-4 on penalties    ^PARAGUAY won 4-3 on penalties

SEMI FINALS

30-Jun 00:30	CHILE	2-1	PERU	Santiago
01-Jul 00:30	ARGENTINA	6-1	PARAGUAY	Concepcion

THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

04-Jul 00:30 PERU

2-0

PARAGUAY

Concepcion

Copa America preview: First title chance for Chile

A FASCINATING 44th edition of the Copa America began in the early hours of yesterday with hosts Chile easing to a 2-0 win over Ecuador in Santiago.

Remarkably, the Chileans - who are hosting the tournament for the first time since 1991 - have never won a single Copa America in its 99-year history.

But home advantage, a strong team by historical standards, and - most of all - a kindly draw have all given La Roja fans hope of finally breaking their duck.

After all, Chile have avoided Argentina and Uruguay - who have been pitted together in Group B - as well as Brazil and Colombia who are in Group C.

Of course, that draw also means there will be two almighty clashes as early as the group stages.

Holders Uruguay are without their talisman Luis Suarez who is still banned from international football after he took a chunk out of Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder at the last World Cup.

By contrast, pre-tournament favourites Argentina can call upon Suarez's Barcelona team-mate, the already-legendary Lionel Messi, as well as Manchester City's Premier League top scorer Sergio Aguero.

Nevertheless, out of the 12 teams competing, the weight of history is likely to rest on the shoulders of the Argentines most heavily - even taking into account Chile's complete lack of success over the years.

For, Argentina have not won the Copa America since 1993, and missed a huge chance of ending this depressing streak when hosting the last edition in 2011.

Instead, La Albiceleste went out to their great rivals from across the Rio de la Plata in the quarter finals on penalties - and, ultimately, the resurgence of Uruguayan football was confirmed by a 3-0 win over Paraguay in the Final.

Notably, the result also took La Celeste back clear of Argentina - with 15 titles to the Argentines' 14 - in the overall record. Brazil trail in third on eight.

Brazil fans will point out, though, that four of those eight titles have come since Argentina last tasted success.

And the Seleção will be eager to make it three wins out of the last four Copas as part of their continued rehabilitation under coach Dunga following the awful end to their home World Cup last year.

Memories of last year's disappointment are unsurprisingly proving hard to shrug off in Brazil - despite an excellent record of 10 wins in a row since then.

Indeed, those memories are likely to come flooding back when Brazil take on Colombia in Group C in a repeat of last summer's World Cup quarter final.

Last July, Brazil prevailed 2-1 from a rough match - but victory came at a cost as they lost their brightest hope Neymar after he was effectively kicked out of the tournament.

Brazil could have few complaints, however - their constant tactical fouling had turned the quarter final into a pitched battle - and so, while this next match will undoubtedly be a spectacle, it will not be a pretty one.

Naturally, there will still be little moments of genius from Neymar - and his counterpart James Rodriguez - but it would be fair to say, one year on, these teams still do not like each other very much.

It is a shame then - given the presence of Messi, Neymar, James, and Arsenal's Chilean Alexis Sanchez, as well as the numerous sub-plots in South American football - that the tournament has been afforded scant coverage in the UK.

Of course, many of the kick-off times - including Argentina v Uruguay (12.30am) and Brazil v Colombia (1am) - are only really suitable for nightowls and insomniacs.
 
But, in being shuffled off to subscription channel Premier Sports, the Copa America sadly somehow gets far less coverage than the weaker biennial African Cup of Nations.

A calendar of the fixtures is provided below (all times BST). Group winners and runners-up qualify for the knockout stages along with the best two third-placed teams.

GROUP A

12-Jun 00:30	CHILE	2-0	ECUADOR	Santiago
13-Jun 00:30	MEXICO	0-0	BOLIVIA	Vina del Mar
15-Jun 22:00	ECUADOR	2-3	BOLIVIA	Valparaiso
16-Jun 00:30	CHILE	3-3	MEXICO	Santiago
19-Jun 22:00	MEXICO	1-2	ECUADOR	Rancagua
20-Jun 00:30	CHILE	5-0	BOLIVIA	Santiago

GROUP A TABLE	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) CHILE	2	1	0	10	3	+7	7
(Q) BOLIVIA	1	1	1	3	7	-4	4
Ecuador	1	0	2	4	6	-2	3
Mexico	0	2	1	4	5	-1	2

GROUP B

13-Jun 20:00	URUGUAY	1-0	JAMAICA	Antofagasta
13-Jun 22:30	ARGENTINA	2-2	PARAGUAY	La Serena
16-Jun 20:00	PARAGUAY	1-0	JAMAICA	Antofagasta
17-Jun 00:30	ARGENTINA	1-0	URUGUAY	La Serena
20-Jun 20:00	URUGUAY	1-1	PARAGUAY	La Serena
20-Jun 22:30	ARGENTINA	1-0	JAMAICA	Vina del Mar

GROUP B TABLE	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) ARGENTINA	2	1	0	4	2	+2	7
(Q) PARAGUAY	1	2	0	4	3	+1	5
(Q) URUGUAY	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
Jamaica	0	0	3	0	3	-3	0

GROUP C

14-Jun 20:00	COLOMBIA	0-1	VENEZUELA	Rancagua
14-Jun 22:30	BRAZIL	2-1	PERU	Temuco
18-Jun 01:00	BRAZIL	0-1	COLOMBIA	Santiago
19-Jun 00:30	PERU	1-0	VENEZUELA	Valparaiso
21-Jun 20:00	COLOMBIA	0-0	PERU	Temuco
21-Jun 22:30	BRAZIL	2-1	VENEZUELA	Santiago

GROUP C TABLE	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) BRAZIL	2	0	1	4	3	+1	6
(Q) PERU	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
(Q) COLOMBIA	1	1	1	1	1	0	4
Venezuela	1	0	2	2	3	-1	3

QUARTER FINALS

25-Jun 00:30	CHILE	1-0	URUGUAY	Santiago
26-Jun 00:30	BOLIVIA	1-3	PERU	Temuco
27-Jun 00:30	ARGENTINA*	0-0	COLOMBIA	Vina del Mar
27-Jun 22:30	BRAZIL	1-1	PARAGUAY^	Concepcion

*ARGENTINA won 5-4 on penalties    ^PARAGUAY won 4-3 on penalties

SEMI FINALS

30-Jun 00:30	CHILE	2-1	PERU	Santiago
01-Jul 00:30	ARGENTINA	6-1	PARAGUAY	Concepcion

THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

04-Jul 00:30 PERU

v

PARAGUAY

Concepcion

Copa America 2011: Suarez and Forlan fire Uruguay to victory

FINAL
Uruguay 3 (Suarez 11, Forlan 41, 89)
Paraguay 0

Uruguay Muslera - M Pereira, Lugano (c), Coates, M Caceres (Godin 88) - Gonzalez, Perez (Eguren 69), Arevalo, A Pereira (Cavani 63) - Forlan, Suarez. Booked: Caceres, D Perez, M Pereira, Coates.
Paraguay Villar (c) - Piris, Veron, da Silva, Marecos - Vera (H Perez 64), Ortigoza, V Caceres (Estigarribia 64), Riveros - Zeballos (Barrios 76), Valdez. Booked: Vera, V Caceres.
Attendance 52,000 at the Estadio Monumental  Referee Salvio Fagundes (Brazil)


LUIS SUAREZ and Diego Forlan both scored as Uruguay easily beat Paraguay in Buenos Aires to take an overall lead in the total number of Copa Americas.

Liverpool striker and player of the tournament Suarez opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a deflected strike but, even at that early stage, it was a deserved lead against the toothless Paraguayans.

The match was all one-way traffic with Uruguay dominating for the rest of the first half and so it came as no surprise when Oscar Tabarez's men scored their second just before the break.

This time, it was Atletico Madrid man Forlan who struck his first goal of the tournament after Paraguay had cheaply surrendered possession.

For most of the second half, Uruguay relaxed but it was rarely enough to allow Paraguay a sniff of getting back in the game.

Paraguay did hit the bar on 54 minutes when Nelson Valdez struck a spectacular volley but it was actually Uruguay who finished more strongly.

Sebastian Eguren almost scored in the 74th minute but was foiled when the tournament's best goalkeeper Justo Villar stuck out his left arm with the ball heading for the net.

But Villar was finally beaten for a third time in the last minute by Forlan. The 32-year-old equalled the national record of 31 goals held by Hector Scarone in his 82nd cap with a fine strike after collecting a pass from Suarez.

Uruguay had won and confirmed the arrival of a new golden generation after their third place in last year's World Cup finals, their best result in that tournament since 1970.

The Uruguayans now have 15 Copa America titles as compared to Argentina's 14 and Brazil's eight.

Led by an experienced coach in Tabarez, they importantly have a strong spine in their team of goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, captain and centre-back Diego Lugano, and midfielders Diego Perez and Alvaro Pereira.

And then, of course, Uruguay has been blessed with  Forlan and Suarez up front, perhaps the most lethal strike-force currently playing international football.

At the start, though, this was a rather odd tournament. Even eventual winners Uruguay could only take a point from their opening two matches in 1-1 draws against Peru and Chile.

Thankfully for them, Pereira scored early on in the third match against Mexico to ensure progress but only as a runner-up in Group C behind Chile.

Even then, the Chileans had only secured top spot with a last-minute goal over third-placed Peru who qualified as the best third-placed team.

Meanwhile, hosts and pre-tournament favourites Argentina laboured to consecutive opening draws in Group A against Bolivia and Colombia.

Those results for La Albiceleste allowed the Colombians to take control of the group and they duly finished top with three clean sheets after wins against Bolivia and Costa Rica who both went out.

Argentina only confirmed their progression on the final matchday although there were few nerves on display in the routine 3-0 win over the disappointing, if youthful, Costa Ricans.

It should easily have been a more handsome win with Gonzalo Higuain particularly guilty of missing a hatful of easy chances laid-on by Lionel Messi.

But, with Messi pulling the strings behind a front three of Higuain, Angelo di Maria and Sergio Aguero, the Argentines finished the group stages finally looking as if they may justify their favourites tag.

Finally, in Group B, Brazil also began with two draws though they produced contrasting performances in the 0-0 against Venezuela and the 2-2 against Paraguay.

In the first match, Brazil did everything except score against a stout and determined Venezuelan side but, against Paraguay, the Selecao had to come from behind twice.

The second equaliser from Fred came in the last minute of the match and the concession of late goals became a running theme for Paraguay who drew all three of their group games.

Paraguay's tendency to lapse late on reached new levels against Venezuela when they failed to see out the game despite going 3-1 up with five minutes left through a Cristian Riveros strike.

Instead, the impressive Vinotinto scored twice in stoppage time through Nicolas Fedor and Grenddy Perozo to salvage a 3-3 draw.

Both Venezuela and Paraguay made it through but it was Brazil, despite their earlier troubles, who finished top of the section after a fine display in beating Ecuador 4-2.

Alexandre Pato and Neymar both scored twice as the Brazilians proved too strong for Ecuador who had just about stayed in the game for the first hour thanks to two goals from Felipe Caicedo.

And so, despite the tournament threatening otherwise, the big names all made the cut. Bolivia, Ecuador and the two development squads from the invitees Costa Rica and Mexico were the teams which went home.

However, the rumbles of a shock had been present throughout the group phase and, in the Quarter Finals, the rumble erupted as all four favourites lost.

Colombia can consider themselves unlucky having hit the woodwork three times while the previously in-form Radamel Falcao also missed a second-half penalty.

The Peruvians held on until extra time then dealt a double sucker-punch with substitute Carlos Lobaton and captain Juan Manuel Vargas scoring either side of the extra time interval for a 2-0 win.

The drama that evening had only just begun as Argentina and Uruguay responded brilliantly to a raucous atmosphere for the Rio de la Plata in Santa Fe.

There were two goals in the opening 17 minutes with Perez sliding in from close range for the visitors before Higuain got the hosts back on terms with a fine strike.

And it looked to be 'advantage Argentina' when goalscorer Perez stupidly got himself sent off for two bookings just before half time.

But Sergio Batista's men toiled in the second half despite their numerical supremacy and even this advantage was removed when Argentine captain Javier Mascherano repeated Perez's error.

Nevertheless, Argentina were the better side and Uruguay keeper Muslera had to be in the form of his life to deny most notably Higuain with a brilliant reflex save.

It seemed written in the stars that Muslera would play the decisive part in the tie and that became even more apparent when the match went to penalties.

Uruguay were nerveless in the shootout, converting all five of their penalties, whereas anxious Argentina rode their luck throughout the exchange.

Javier Pastore only just managed to squeeze his penalty underneath Muslera and Higuain scored via the underside of the bar.

By then, though, Muslera was already eyeing glory after he saved substitute Carlos Tevez's weak spot-kick. The Manchester City man evident had something else on his mind...

Tevez proved to be the solitary failure once Martin Caceres confirmed Uruguay's place in the semis with the final kick.

Argentina were out of their own tournament and, unsurprisingly, manager Batista has subsequently resigned before the Argentine Football Association (AFA) had a chance to act.

In the third quarter final, Brazil took on Paraguay in a repeat of their group stage clash which Paraguay had come ever so close to winning.

This time, sadly, Paraguay reverted to their shells and only managed their first attack in the last moments of normal time and their first shot on target in the last minute of extra time.

Brazil huffed and puffed but it was to no avail as the match drifted into the extra period.

Midfielders Ramires and Lucas Leiva had seen plenty of the ball but neither produced anything of note and the latter compounded his failures by getting sent off after an on-field brawl with Antolin Alcaraz.

With Paraguay killing the game, the brawl was just about the most interesting aspect of extra time and more Copa penalties became inevitable.

In the shoot-out, Brazil gave a comical performance, missing all four of their kicks as Paraguay went through with a two-out-of-three success rate.

Defenders Thiago Silva and Andre Santos had stepped up for Brazil along with Elano and Fred while Robinho, who had played on the periphery throughout, declined to take one.

Ultimately, Brazil had failed to hold their nerve, and badly.

Just 12 months after their surprise World Cup exit to Netherlands despite holding a 1-0 half-time lead and just 36 months before they host the World Cup themselves, the signs are not looking good for home success in 2014.

Success for Venezuela in 2014 would simply mean qualification for the finals and the continent's only previous whipping boys breached another barrier in this tournament by reaching the semi finals for the first time.

Their 2-1 extra time win in the last eight came against Chile who were much-fancied after their group stage performances.

Once again, though, the underdogs came out on top having ridden their luck.

Venezuela actually started brighter and Ozwaldo Vizcarrondo gave them the lead with a header on 34 minutes.

After the break, though, the Chileans were better and pushed for a winner once Humberto Suazo had equalised with 20 minutes to go.

But the coup de grace came from Venezuela with just nine minutes left when Gabriel Cichero scored from close range to complete an extraordinary couple of days.

Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Chile had been eliminated. It was becoming ever clearer that this was Uruguay's time again.

First, though, they had to deal with Peru who were appearing in their first semi final at the Copa America since 1997.

The opening half was as tight as to be expected but Suarez removed the shackles in the second period and scored twice in five minutes to kill off the tie with half an hour left.

Suarez struck the first on the rebound after Raul Fernandez could only push out Forlan's stinging long-range effort - and, five minutes later, the tie was over once Suarez had rounded Fernandez after Pereira's ball over the top.

Peru's last hope of a dramatic comeback ended 10 minutes after Suarez's second when captain Vargas was sent off for an elbow borne of frustration.

It was a terribly disappointing end to a fine tournament for Peru who had finished bottom of the 2010 World Cup qualifying group with just 11 goals and 13 points from 18 games.

Hopefully, they can build on a truly unexpected semi final berth and, indeed, a third-placed finish following a 4-1 win over Venezuela in the playoff thanks to Jose Guerrero's hat-trick.

The score was a little harsh on the Venezuelans as two of top scorer Guerrero's goals came in the last few moments against tired legs. Nevertheless, Venezuela can also be proud of their efforts in this tournament.

Indeed, they could have gone further with a bit of a luck, losing out to Paraguay 5-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in which they struck the woodwork three times.

That penalty shoot-out ensured Paraguay progressed to the Final without having won a match inside 90 minutes or even 120 minutes.

Five consecutive draws - five goals for, five against in five matches - the beautiful game, this certainly was not. Neither was another brawl which marred the end of the Venezuela-Paraguay tie.

The spectre of Paraguay's anti-football winning the day loomed large over the tournament but Uruguay ended that prospect comprehensively with their new golden generation.


RESULTS AND STATISTICS
GROUP A
Colombia (7 points) and Argentina (5 points) progress to the Quarter Finals. Costa Rica (3 points) and Bolivia (1 point) are eliminated.

Date	Venue
2 July	La Plata	ARGENTINA 1-1 BOLIVIA
2 July	Jujuy	COLOMBIA 1-0 COSTA RICA
7 July	Santa Fe	ARGENTINA 0-0 COLOMBIA
7 July	Jujuy	BOLIVIA 0-2 COSTA RICA
10 July	Santa Fe	COLOMBIA 2-0 BOLIVIA
12 July	Cordoba	ARGENTINA 3-0 COSTA RICA

GROUP B
Brazil (5 points), Venezuela (5 points) and Paraguay (3 points) progress to the Quarter Finals. Ecuador (1 points) are eliminated.

Date	Venue
3 July	La Plata	BRAZIL 0-0 VENEZUELA
3 July	Santa Fe	PARAGUAY 0-0 ECUADOR
9 July	Cordoba	BRAZIL 2-2 PARAGUAY
9 July	Salta	VENEZUELA 1-0 ECUADOR
13 July	Salta	PARAGUAY 3-3 VENEZUELA
14 July	Cordoba	BRAZIL 4-2 ECUADOR

GROUP C
Chile (7 points), Uruguay (5 points) and Peru (4 points) progress to the Quarter Finals. Mexico (0 points) are eliminated.

Date	Venue
4 July	San Juan	URUGUAY 1-1 PERU
5 July	San Juan	CHILE 2-1 MEXICO
8 July	Mendoza	URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
9 July	Mendoza	PERU 1-0 MEXICO
12 July	Mendoza	CHILE 1-0 PERU
13 July	La Plata	URUGUAY 1-0 MEXICO

QUARTER FINALS

Date	Venue
16 July	Cordoba	COLOMBIA 0-2 PERU aet.
16 July	Santa Fe	ARGENTINA 1-1 URUGUAY aet. URUGUAY won 5-4 on pens.
17 July	La Plata	BRAZIL 0-0 PARAGUAY aet. PARAGUAY won 2-0 on pens.
17 July	San Juan	CHILE 1-2 VENEZUELA

SEMI FINALS

20 July	La Plata	PERU 0-2 URUGUAY
21 July	Mendoza	PARAGUAY 0-0 VENEZUELA aet. PAR won 5-3 on pens.

THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

23 July

La Plata PERU

4-1 VENEZUELA

FINAL

24 July

Buenos Aires

URUGUAY 3-0 PARAGUAY

SCORERS

5 goals Pablo Guerrero (Peru)

4 Luis Suarez (Uruguay)

3 Sergio Aguero (Argentina)

2 Neymar, Alexandre Pato (Brazil), Radamel Falcao (Colombia), Felipe Caicedo (Venezuela), Diego Forlan, Alvaro Pereira (Uruguay)

1 Angel di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina), Edivaldo Rojas (Bolivia), Fred, Jadson (Brazil), Esteban Paredes, Alexis Sanchez, Humberto Suazo, Artuto Vidal (Chile), Adrian Ramos (Colombia), Jose Campbell, Josue Martinez (Costa Rica), Nestor Araujo (Mexico), Antolin Alcaraz, Lucas Barrios, Nelson Haedo Valdez, Cristian Riveros, Roque Santo Cruz (Paraguay), William Chiroque, Carlos Lobaton, Juan Manuel Vargas (Peru), Diego Perez (Uruguay), Juan Arango, Gabriel Cichero, Nicolas Fedor, Cesar Gonzalez, Grenddy Perozo, Salomon Rondon, Oswaldo Vizcarrondo (Venezuela)

1 own goal Andre Carrillo (Peru) for Chile

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Most Valuable Player Luis Suarez (Uruguay)

Best Young Player Sebastian Coates (Uruguay)

Best Goalkeeper Justo Villar (Paraguay)

TOTAL COPA AMERICAS WON (most recent victory)

15 Uruguay (2011)

14 Argentina (1993)

8 Brazil (2007)

2 Paraguay (1979), Peru (1975)

1 Colombia (2001), Bolivia (1963)

0 Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela have never won the Copa America, nor have any invitees.

Copa America 2011: Argentina hope home advantage ends 18-year wait

ARGENTINA will attempt to win their first major title for 18 years when they host the Copa America throughout July.

The Argentines still hold the joint overall lead with 14 Copas but the last of these titles came in 1993.

Somewhat surprisingly, it is Uruguay who are the only team to match La Albiceleste's record with Brazil lagging behind in third with eight victories.

Brazil's record actually includes four wins from the last five editions and it is fair to say that the Selecao place much more emphasis on the competition than previously.

In its early days, the Copa America - which predates its European equivalent by 44 years - was seen largely as a spat between the two sides of the Rio de la Plata - namely, Argentina and Uruguay.

But it is now very much part of Brazil's football calendar, and especially so in this particular four-year international cycle.

For, Brazil - as hosts of the World Cup in 2014 - have qualified automatically for it and so the Copa America will provide a rare opportunity for them to play competitive matches.

However, the Brazilians traditionally find it tough in Argentina, having won only two competitive matches there - although the last of these did come as recently as 2009 in the World Cup qualifiers.

Argentina will be looking for revenge for that loss - and also for defeats in the Final of the last two editions of the Copa America in 2004 and 2007.

But the feeling is that, with Lionel Messi pulling the strings from midfield and Gonzalo Higuain up front, the Argentines have a good chance of ending their drought. It will come as little surprise that Argentina's weakness remains their defence.

By contrast, Brazil fans are still wondering where the joga bonito - the 'beautiful game' - has gone. Kaka spent much of last season sidelined by injury while youngster Neymar has shown only fleeting glimpses of his genius.

Overall, the current Brazil team is more closely represented by the likes of Chelsea's Ramires, an uncompromising tackler - and it all feels far too pragmatic to be Brazil.

Indeed, the South American team which, perhaps, excited the most at the last World Cup was Uruguay - and Oscar Tabarez's side went further than both Brazil and Argentina by reaching the semi finals.

Since then, Luis Suarez - unfairly lambasted and yet deservedly punished for his instinctive goal-line save in the quarter final against Ghana - helped Liverpool to recover in the second half of last season.

And the Uruguayan resurgence was further in evidence by the country's most successful club, Penarol, reaching the Final of the Copa Libertadores.

It is the first time since Newell's Old Boys in 1988 that Uruguay has provided a representative in the Final of the South American equivalent of the Champions League.

Penarol - locked at 0-0 with Brazil's Santos after the first leg - are looking for their first Copa Libertadores since 1987.

With the Big Three having dominated the competition throughout its history, the record of the other South American teams is pretty weak.

Peru and Paraguay have just two wins apiece, the last of which came in 1975 and 1979 respectively.

Colombia and Bolivia have won the Copa once but both had home advantage when they did so and, perhaps most surprisingly all of all, Chile have never won it.

Nevertheless, the marathon round-robin World Cup qualifying groups have raised the standard of play across the continent and the invitees also usually provide strong competition.

This time, the invitees - Mexico, for an eighth time, and Costa Rica for a fourth appearance - are both from the CONCACAF region.

Los Ticos were not originally invited but stepped in quickly once Japan withdrew, citing difficulties with European clubs in getting their players released.

The pair should perform creditably having already been in competitive action this summer in the 2011 Gold Cup, and both will fancy being among the eight teams who progress to the quarter finals.

Group winners, runners-up and the best two third-placed teams will contest these final stages.

ESPN will provide live coverage of every match in the UK. Kick-off times below are BST and based upon the 24-hour clock.


GROUP A
Colombia (7 points) and Argentina (5 points) progress to the Quarter Finals. Costa Rica (3 points) and Bolivia (1 point) are eliminated.

Date	Venue
2 July	La Plata	ARGENTINA 1-1 BOLIVIA
2 July	Jujuy	COLOMBIA 1-0 COSTA RICA
7 July	Santa Fe	ARGENTINA 0-0 COLOMBIA
7 July	Jujuy	BOLIVIA 0-2 COSTA RICA
10 July	Santa Fe	COLOMBIA 2-0 BOLIVIA
12 July	Cordoba	ARGENTINA 3-0 COSTA RICA

GROUP B
Brazil (5 points), Venezuela (5 points) and Paraguay (3 points) progress to the Quarter Finals. Ecuador (1 points) are eliminated.

Date	Venue
3 July	La Plata	BRAZIL 0-0 VENEZUELA
3 July	Santa Fe	PARAGUAY 0-0 ECUADOR
9 July	Cordoba	BRAZIL 2-2 PARAGUAY
9 July	Salta	VENEZUELA 1-0 ECUADOR
13 July	Salta	PARAGUAY 3-3 VENEZUELA
14 July	Cordoba	BRAZIL 4-2 ECUADOR

GROUP C
Chile (7 points), Uruguay (5 points) and Peru (4 points) progress to the Quarter Finals. Mexico (0 points) are eliminated.

Date	Venue
4 July	San Juan	URUGUAY 1-1 PERU
5 July	San Juan	CHILE 2-1 MEXICO
8 July	Mendoza	URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
9 July	Mendoza	PERU 1-0 MEXICO
12 July	Mendoza	CHILE 1-0 PERU
13 July	La Plata	URUGUAY 1-0 MEXICO

QUARTER FINALS

Date	Venue
16 July	Cordoba	COLOMBIA 0-2 PERU aet.
16 July	Santa Fe	ARGENTINA 1-1 URUGUAY aet. URUGUAY won 5-4 on pens.
17 July	La Plata	BRAZIL 0-0 PARAGUAY aet. PARAGUAY won 2-0 on pens.
17 July	San Juan	CHILE 1-2 VENEZUELA

SEMI FINALS

20 July	La Plata	PERU 0-2 URUGUAY
21 July	Mendoza	PARAGUAY 0-0 VENEZUELA aet. PARAGUAY won 5-3 on pens.

THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF

23 July

La Plata PERU

4-1 VENEZUELA

FINAL

24 July

Buenos Aires

URUGUAY 3-0 PARAGUAY - see tournament report here.