Peru shuts out Chile in Copa
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — After being counted out by most, Peru pulled off a stunning Copa America comeback.
Two weeks after a 50 loss to Brazil that left the team on the verge of a firstround elimination, Peru got past twotime defending champion Chile 30 on Wednesday to make it to the continental final for the first time since 1975.
Peru already had stunned titlefavorite Uruguay in the quarterfinals after advancing as one of the two best thirdplace finishers from the three groups, and now it will get a rematch against host Brazil in Sunday’s final at the Maracana Stadium.
Chile was trying to become the first team to win three straight Copa America titles since Argentina in the 1940s, but now will play the thirdplace match against the Argentines on Saturday in a repeat of the last two finals.
“We entered the match already thinking about the final, and that’s how we allowed Peru to surprise us,” Chile coach Reinaldo Rueda said. “We didn’t show the attitude and aggressiveness from the previous matches.”
Chile’s loss to longtime rival Peru will add pressure on Rueda, a Colombian who had been criticized since he took over the squad at the beginning of last year. The result also raises further questions about its socalled golden generation, which failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The veterans of Chile’s recent triumphs, including Eduardo Vargas, Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez, had subpar performances at the Arena Gremio in Porto Alegre.
Despite a team without the same quality as Chile, it was Peru that got off to a good start and dominated the match early.
“When this team wants something, it works hard and gets it,” Peru striker Paolo Guerrero said. “We deserved to make it to the final. We were fully focused from the start.”
Edinson Flores opened the scoring with a shot from inside the area in the 21st minute and Yoshimar Yotun added to the lead in the 38th with a strike into the open net after Chile goalkeeper Gabriel Arias left the area to try to stop a counterattack.
Guerrero sealed the victory in stoppage time to become the Copa America’s leading career scorer among active players with 13 goals.