Copa América 2007

[abadani69]

Juan Roman Riquelme scored two goals and set up another with a stunning pass as Argentina routed Peru 4-0 in their Copa America quarter-final on Sunday.

Peru had held out until halftime but Riquelme broke the deadlock with an outstanding goal and then provided an equally impressive pass for Lionel Messi to add the second.

Javier Mascherano and Riquelme added two more as the tournament favourites earned a semi-final tie against Mexico.

Peru were gifted an early chance when Gabriel Heinze gave the ball away on the edge of his own penalty area but Paulo Guerrero's shot went over.

Guerrero was a headache for the Argentina defence and Roberto Ayala was lucky not to be sent off for pulling him down when he had a clear run on goal.

Messi, given a rapturous reception by the crowd, had Argentina's best first-half chances, hitting the post in the 18th minute with a shot that deflected off goalkeeper Leao Butron and then having another cleared off the line by Edgar Villamarin.

Argentina introduced Carlos Tevez for Diego Milito at halftime and shortly after the restart Riquelme, running across the face of the area, collected a pass in his stride and scored with a powerful low drive into the bottom left-hand corner.

Tevez then headed against the crossbar before Riquelme sliced open the Peru defence with a slide-rule pass and found Messi, who eluded Butron to score his first goal of the tournament in the 61st minute.

Mascherano, who scored his first Argentina goal in the 1-0 win over Paraguay on Thursday, hit the target for the second game in a row as he snapped up a rebound in the 75th minute.

Argentina were not finished and scored the fourth goal from a stunning counter attack started by Roberto Abbondanzieri, who raced out of his goal and found Tevez with a pass down the touchline.

Tevez held off his marker and laid the ball off to Riquelme, who nonchalantly added the fourth.

[abadani69]

تيمهاي ملي فوتبال آرژانتين و مكزيك پس از پيروزيهاي قاطعانه بر حريفان خود در مرحله يك چهارم نهايي جام ملتهاي آمريكا، براي مصاف بزرگ با يكديگر، به دور بعد صعود كردند .

به گزارش خبرگزاريها از ونزوئلا ميزبان مسابقات كوپا آمريكا، آرژانتين يكشنبه شب به وقت محلي ( بامداد دوشنبه به وقت تهران ) چهار بر صفر حريف خود پرو را درهم كوبيد .

" خوآن ريمون ريكلمه " بازيكن كاركشته آرژانتين كه براي كمك به تيم ملي كشورش از بازنشستگي خارج شده است، دو گل از چهار گل آرژانتين را در نيمه دوم به ثمر رساند .

با اين پيروزي ، مدعي اصلي قهرماني كوپا آمريكا در مرحله نيمه نهايي به مصاف مكزيك خواهد رفت كه كمي پيشتر جشن گل بپا كرده و پاراگوئه بخت برگشته را شش بر صفر درهم كوبيده بود .

ديدار آرژانتين و مكزيك در مرحله نيمه نهايي، چهارشنبه شب به وقت محلي در شهر "پورتو اوردز" برگزار خواهد شد.

آرژانتين پس از نيمه اول بازي كه گلي در پي نداشت ، در همان دو دقيقه اول نيمه دوم با يك شوت سر ضرب ريكلمه " ليائو بترون " دروازه بان حريف را مغلوب كرد.

چهارده دقيقه بعد ، اين هافبك آرژانتين سازنده يك گل براي ليونل مسي شد و متعاقبا " خاوير ماسكرانو " گل سوم بازي را پس از يك پاسكاري و همكاري زيبا با مسي و كارلوس ته وز به ثمر رساند .

"آلفيو باسيل " سرمربي تيم ملي فوتبال آرژانتين پس از اين ديدار گفت: " ما با صبر و شكيبايي زياد بازي كرده و توپ را در سراسر زمين به حركت در آورديم. سپس در نيمه دوم ، آنها بهاي سنگين تمام دوندگي*ها و فشارهاي ما را پرداختند ."
مكزيك نيز به لطف برخورداري از يك بازيكن بيشتر نسبت به پاراگوئه ، اين تيم را با نتيجه شش بر صفر درهم كوبيد .

پاراگوئه از دقيقه سوم بازي پس از اخراج "آلدو بوباديلا" دروازه بان خود به دليل يك خطاي فاحش روي " نري كاستيلو " ستاره مكزيك در اين ديدار از زمين اخراج شد .

خود كاستيلو اين ضربه پنالتي را به گل اول تبديل كرد و متعاقب آن شيرازه تيم پاراگوئه ازهم پاشيد. در ادامه بازي كاستيلو يك گل ديگر نيز به ثمر رساند .

تيمهاي برزيل و اروگوئه ديگر ديدار مرحله نيمه نهايي جام ملتهاي آمريكا را سه شنبه شب برگزار خواهند كرد.

[abadani69]

One-sided victories in the quarterfinals of the Copa America helped Brazil and Uruguay negate any damage to their reputations from first-round losses.

After Uruguay opened with a 3-0 loss to Peru, and Brazil fell to Mexico 2-0, both teams have found their stride.

The continental heavyweights redeemed themselves with high-scoring blowouts over the weekend and face off against one another on Tuesday for a berth in the final.

With two goals by Robinho, Brazil thumped Chile 6-1 on Saturday and received praise for rediscovering their "jogo bonito," or beautiful play, expected of the defending and five-time World Cup champion.

Uruguay was less flashy, but equally effective in its 4-1 romp of host Venezuela.

Now in the semis, both teams need to prove their resurrection was no accident.

A victory sends the winner to Sunday's final in Maracaibo against either Argentina or Mexico, who play Wednesday in Puerto Ordaz.

Uruguay hasn't defeated the Brazilians in the Copa America since the 1995 final at home in Montevideo. Since then, Brazil won the 1999 final, and on penalties three years ago in the semifinals in Peru.

Historically, the Charruas have fared better at the South American championship, having won a tournament-best 14 titles -- the same number as Argentina. Brazil is a distant third with seven titles.

Although less celebrated than the classic between Brazil and Argentina, the Selecao's rivalry with Uruguay has its own lore. Uruguay's biggest victory was a 2-1 shocker to win the 1950 World Cup, played in Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium before a crowed estimated to be over 200,000.

The upset known as the Maracanazo still haunts Brazilians, who hosted the 1950 tournament as the outright favorite.

"For Uruguay, it's something special to play against Brazil," manager Oscar Tabarez said Monday at the team's training site in Maracaibo. "But that doesn't mean we don't have the utmost respect for their capabilities."

Both teams will be at full strength, though Tabarez said Inter Milan forward Alvaro Recoba, who missed Uruguay's first two matches due to a leg injury, is not yet in peak form.

For Brazil, the 2006 Copa is shaping up to be the breakout tournament for Robinho, who took over the leadership role with more established regulars like Ronaldinho and Kaka having asked to be exempted.

The Real Madrid striker scored all of Brazil's four goals in its first round and added two more in the quarterfinal against Chile, in which the Brazilian midfield also finally gelled.

With six goals, he leads the tournament's and is within two of Pele's eight goals at the 1959 Copa. The record of nine is held by Brazil Jair Rosa Pinto in 1949 and by Argentina's Humberto Maschio and Uruguay's Javier Ambrois in 1957.

Diego Forlan, who scored two of Uruguay's goals against Chile, also seems to be finding his form after a scoreless first round.

Uruguay advanced to the quarterfinals despite scoring only one goal, the fewest of anybody in the 12-nation tournament. But its rout over Chile put Brazil on notice.

"Uruguay always plays better in the decisive games," Brazilian manager Dunga said Monday. "Not only do they have history and tradition on their side, but they've got great players."

[abadani69]

One came to Venezuela as an invited guest, the other as the tournament favorite.

A vast gap in experience separates Mexico and 14-time South American champion Argentina, two teams that reached the Copa America semifinals Wednesday in Puerto Ordaz on a goal-scoring roll.

With victories over the United States, Colombia and Paraguay and a 4-0 quarterfinal romp over Peru, Argentina sailed into the semifinals as the only team with a perfect record and with a tournament-best 13 goals -- four of them by midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme.

But in the semis, it will run up against a rejuvenated Mexican team inspired by several big wins of its own.

The winner will travel to Maracaibo for Sunday's final against Brazil or Uruguay, who play in Tuesday's other semifinal.

Coming off a disappointing 2-1 loss to the United States in the CONACAF Gold Cup finals, Mexican coach Hugo Sanchez' team arrived to Venezuela with morale running low.

Its spirits quickly rebounded after "El Tri" upset five-time World Cup champion Brazil 2-0 in its Copa America opener. After beating Ecuador and tying Chile to finish atop Group B, Mexico was led by newcomer Nery Castillo's two goals in a 6-0 rout of Paraguay to advance to the semifinal against Argentina.

Castillo's four tournament goals have been the motor of the Aztec offense after all-time leading scorer Jared Borgetti was sent home before the first match due to a nagging leg injury sustained in the Gold Cup finals. But Castillo, a forward for Greece's Olympiakos, is himself in doubt for the semifinal due to an ankle injury suffered against Paraguay.

"There's little possibility he'll recover in time, but I haven't lost all hope," Sanchez said. "But for whoever takes his place, we're on a roll and the team will perform well."

Mexico has flirted with a Copa title before, having qualified for the semis in four of its six previous appearances since its first invitation in 1993. But the Aztecs lost in two previous finals appearances, against Argentina in 1995 and host Colombia in 2001, and have defeated Argentina only four times in 24 international meetings, the last a 1-0 first-round win in the 2004 Copa.

On confidence alone, "El Tri" would already be champion.

Before the quarterfinal matchup against Paraguay, Sanchez predicted his team would win and sounded similarly emboldened on the eve of the matchup against Argentina.

"We've reached our goal of making it to the semifinals," Sanchez said. "Our prestige as a team is growing every day."

Argentina is accustomed to playing in big matches, and coach Alfio Basile considers the patience shown in come-from-behind victories against the United States and Colombia to be one of the greatest virtues of "El Albiceleste." Basile coached two previous Argentine championships at the 1991 and 1993 Copa America.

Argentina brought its biggest Europe-based guns to Venezuela on hopes of claiming the country's 15th title and snapping a tie with Uruguay for the most tournament wins.

Almost as if scripted, the all-star lineup of attackers such as Riquelme, Lionel Messi of Spain's Barcelona and Carlos Tevez of English Premier League's West Ham hasn't disappointed.

"We play patiently," Basile said, "moving our rivals all over the field until they get tired and we start filling the scoreboard."

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Venezuela's justice minister accused security agents traveling with the American team at the Copa America of provoking local authorities by carrying weapons.

Security guards from foreign countries are not permitted to bear arms during such events, Pedro Carreno said on Tuesday.

But he did not directly deny a statement last week by U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield that the two U.S. State Department security agents had permits to carry handguns when they arrived in Maracaibo ahead of the team's June 28 opening match.

A State Department spokesman accused President Hugo Chavez's government of harassing the agents.

But Carreno called the agents' conduct "an act of provocation," telling a news conference they were temporarily held by Venezuelan authorities who confiscated their weapons and returned them when the agents left the country.

"One of the responsibilities the host country assumes is guaranteeing security for the delegations," Carreno said.

He noted Venezuela had provided police security for all 12 teams at the tournament, which ends on Sunday.

Brownfield said additional security "is normal when a U.S. national team travels to another country." The U.S. team was eliminated last week from the South American championship.

Relations between Caracas and Washington have been tense under Chavez, a close ally of Cuba leader Fidel Castro who has vowed to resist what he calls "U.S. imperialism" while he steers Venezuela toward socialism.

[abadani69]

Copa America semi-final result on Tuesday:

Brazil 2 Uruguay 2

Brazil win 5-4 on penalties.

Extra-time is not played at the Copa America.

Scorers:

Brazil - Maicon 14, Julio Baptista 45+9

Uruugay - Diego Forlan 45+4, Sebastian Abreu 70

Halftime: 2-1; Attendance: 42,000

Brazil: 1-Doni; 2-Maicon, 3-Alex Rodrigo, 4-Juan, 6-Gilberto; 5-Mineiro, 6-Gilberto Silva, 17-Josue (18-Fernando 73), 19-Julio Baptista (10-Diego 73); 9-Vagner Love (21-Alex Afonso 80), 11-Robinho

Uruguay: 1-Fabian Carini; 15-Diego Perez (8-Walter Gargano 74), 2-Diego Lugano, 19-Andres Scotti, 6-Dario Rodriguez (20-Ignacio Gonzalez 46); 7-Cristian Rodriguez, 16-Maximiliano Pereira, 5-Pablo Garcia, 4-Jorge Fucile; 21-Diego Forlan, 10-Alvaro Recoba (13-Sebastian Abreu 46)

Referee: Oscar Ruiz (Colombia)

Note: the first half was interrupted by a floodlight failure between the 13th and 27th minutes.

[abadani69]

Defending champions Brazil reached the Copa America final on Tuesday, beating a feisty Uruguay on penalties after twice surrendering the lead in a 2-2 draw.

Maicon put Brazil ahead early on before a floodflight failure stopped the first half of the semi-final for 14 minutes.

Diego Forlan equalised after the re-start only for Julio Baptista to head Brazil back in front before halftime. Substitute Sebastian Abreu pulled Uruguay level again midway through the second half.

With no extra time played in the tournament, both teams missed two penalties before Brazil won the shootout 5-4 after Diego Lugano's last effort for Uruguay was saved by Doni.

The game ended in an ugly scuffle after Brazil's celebrations appeared to provoke Uruguay as they repeated their penalty shootout win over the same opponents at the same stage of the previous tournament three years ago.

The game, played in sapping heat and humidity, got off to a cautious start but Brazil went ahead in the 13th minute after producing the first flowing move of the game.

A break down the right ended with Fabian Carini superbly saving Mineiro's shot only for Maicon to snap up the rebound.

Uruguay came back into the game after the blackout with Alvaro Recoba's inswinging free kicks and corners causing havoc in the Brazil defence.

SUPERB SAVE

Brazil goalkeeper Doni was forced to punch away three Recoba corners from under his crossbar and made a superb save to turn away Forlan's shot on the turn.

In the fourth minute of time added on for the floodlight failure, Doni failed to clear a Recoba cross and the ball fell to Forlan, who scored with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area.

But Brazil regained the lead five minutes later when Julio Baptista headed in following a free kick on the right.

In the second half, Brazil appeared happy to sit back on the lead but they paid when Abreu, who replaced Recoba at halftime, equalised in the 70th minute.

Jorge Fucile slipped the ball to Cristian Rodriguez on the left, his cross from the byline was headed on by Forlan to Abreu, who scrambled the ball in at the far post.

Forlan's first penalty for Uruguay in the shootout was saved by Doni while Alex Afonso crashed Brazil's fourth effort against the post.

As the shootout went to sudden death, Fernando hit the post for Brazil and Pablo Garcia, needing to convert to send Uruguay through, did the same.

Gilberto then scored for Brazil and Lugano missed.

[abadani69]

Lionel Messi scored a breathtaking goal, arguably the best of the tournament, as Argentina beat Mexico 3-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday.

Collecting a pass from Carlos Tevez, Messi spotted goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez off his line and chipped the ball into the net to score Argentina's second as they set up a final against old rivals Brazil.

The 61st-minute goal, which came as Mexico were pressing for an equaliser, turned the game and Juan Riquelme Roman added a third from a controversial penalty, his fifth goal of the tournament.

Defender Gabriel Heinze had put Argentina ahead on the stroke of halftime with his second international goal as the favourites kept up an average of over three goals per game.

Mexico, with coach Hugo Sanchez celebrating his 49th birthday, made a fight of it and twice hit the woodwork in an enthralling game.

Mexico, 6-0 conquerers of Paraguay in their quarter-final, made a lively start and nearly went ahead in the 18th minute when Andres Guardado, free on the left, cut inside his marker and hit the outside of the post.

Argentina, meanwhile, looked dangerous whenever Riquelme got the ball.

The elegant number 10 floated over a free kick which eluded goalkeeper Sanchez and found Roberto Ayala, whose shot was blocked. Then he sent Tevez clear but his effort was again saved.

Argentina broke through in the 45th minute when another Riquelme freekick found Heinze, who hooked the ball past Sanchez with his left foot.

Mexico were again unlucky in the 55th minute when Fernando Arce split the Argentina defence and found Nery Castillo, whose shot hit the crossbar.

Argentina struck the killer blow six minutes later when Heinze opened up Mexico's defence with a crossfield pass to Tevez, who laid it off to Messi who scored his gem.

Five minutes later, Tevez went down in the area and, although replays showed he fell before any contact was made, a penalty was awarded. Riquelme nonchalantly chipped the ball in for his fifth goal of the tournament.

Messi nearly scored again when he forced his way past two defenders but curled his shot wide in injury-time.

[abadani69]

Tournament favorite Argentina advanced to the final of the Copa America, beating Mexico 3-0 Wednesday night on goals by Gabriel Heinze, Lionel Messi and Juan Roman Riquelme.

Argentina plays defending champion Brazil on Sunday at Maracaibo. Brazil defeated Argentina 4-2 on penalty kicks in the 2004 final following a 2-2 tie.

Argentina, which came from behind to defeat Mexico 2-1 in overtime in the second round of last year's World Cup, went ahead in the 44th minute when Heinze lifted his left leg high and toed in Riquelme's free kick.

Messi scored in the 61st minute, taking a pass from Riquelme and lobbing the ball over the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez.

Riquelme scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the 66th minute, converting a penalty kick after Carlos Tevez, was fouled.

Brazil advanced Tuesday, beating Uruguay 5-4 on penalty kicks following a 2-2 tie.

Mexico, which has reached the semifinals five of the seven times it has been invited to South America's championship as a guest, plays Uruguay on Saturday at Caracas for third place.

[donsaeid]

agha final shod argentina vs Brazil! a real classic!

ki mibare? brazil ba inke bazikonaye aslisho nadare ama gooo brazil messi la massab cheghadr ghashang bazi mikone! bazie kheili ghashangi mishe! ama heyf ke man sare karam on moghe

[abadani69]

تيم ملي فوتبال برزيل بامداد دوشنبه با غلبه قاطعانه سه بر صفر برابر آرژانتين، قهرمان چهل و دومين دوره مسابقات فوتبال جام ملتهاي آمريكاي جنوبي "كوپه*آم*ريكا" شد.

اين هشتمين بار است كه برزيل به قهرماني كوپه آمه ريكا دست مي*يابد.

در ديدار پاياني اين جام كه در نخستين ساعت روز دوشنبه به وقت تهران در ورزشگاه شهر ماركايبو كشور ونزوئلا و به داوري كارلوس آماريا آغازشد، جوليو باپتيستا در دقيقه چهار، آيالا(ازآرژانتين) در دقيقه چهل و دانيل آوز در دقيقه ۶۹براي برزيل گلزني كردند.

روبينيو ستاره جوان و پديده جديد برزيل با شش گل به ثمر رسانده در اين مسابقات، به آقاي گلي دست يافت. بعد از وي، خوان ريكلمه آرژانتيني با پنج گل قرار دارد.

تيم ملي فوتبال برزيل، قهرماني دوره چهل و يكم اين مسابقات را نيز در سال ۲۰۰۴ميلادي كسب كرده بود.