RIO DE JANEIRO, July 3: Defending Copa America champions Brazil defended strongly with 10 men to advance to the semifinals with a 1-0 win on Friday against Chile. Substitute Lucas Paquetá scored the only goal of the match only seconds before Gabriel Jesus was sent off early in the second half.
Paquetá’s winner to the left corner of Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in the 46th minute gave Brazil fans some hope that the Selecao would ease into the next stage. But only two minutes later Jesus was sent off after hitting Chile’s Eugenio Mena with a flying kick.
Neymar and Brazil coach Tite said after the match that Jesus didn’t see Mena and accidentally kicked him as he tried to recover possession in the midfield.
Brazil worked so hard defensively that Chile had fewer shots on goal after Jesus was sent off than during the time he played; two against three. “Defending well is a characteristic of ours,” Brazil’s Thiago Silva said.
Paquetá came onto the pitch after a tense first half replacing Roberto Firmino.
Brazil didn’t stop threatening Chile with Neymar’s dribbles and quick counter-attacks. But Chile was much closer to the equalizer; it had an Eduardo Vargas goal disallowed for offside and English-Chilean Ben Brereton hit the bar with a header in the 68th minute.
An exhausted Neymar said after the match that playing with 10 men was a great test for Brazil. He was not close to scoring as in other Copa America matches, but he was key by holding possession. “Every match we need to get some tests to make us stronger, show we can do it in every circumstance,” Neymar said.
Also, Peru beat Paraguay 4-3 on penalties Friday to advance to the Copa America semifinals in the most thrilling tournament match so far.
Regular time at the Olimpico Stadium in Goiania finished 3-3 after a hard-fought match that included red cards to key players of both teams and two goals by Italian-born Gianluca Lapadula for Peru.
The decisive moment in the quarterfinal came after Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese stopped Alberto Espinola in the shootout. Miguel Trauco converted his shot to put the runners- up of the 2019 Copa America back in contention.
Daniel Martinez and Braian Samudio had also missed for Paraguay. Santiago Ormeño and Christian Cueva were stopped by Paraguay’s Antony Silva.
Coach Eduardo Berizzo’s side opened the scoring in the 11th minute with Gustavo Gómez pushing the ball to the empty net after a corner.
Lapadula scored his first in the 21st from close range after an assist from Andre Carrillo. He added another in the 40th minute with a crossed shot from the left flank after Paraguayan defenders stopped to complain about a foul.
The Peruvians looked certain they would advance after they took the lead and Paraguayan defender Gómez was sent off in added time after a second yellow.
But Paraguay started the second half well and put pressure on Peru. Junior Alonso levelled the scoring in the 54th minute after burying the ball past Gallese after a corner. Peru’s Yoshimar Yotún frustrated the Paraguayans with a goal from the edge of the box 80th minute after the ball deflected off a Paraguayan defender. But more twists were to come.
Five minutes later, Peruvian striker André Carrillo also received his second yellow. Paraguay decided to charge forward and it resulted in a late close-range goal by substitute Gabriel Avalos — who had stepped in eight minutes before — to level the match and send it to penalties.
Peru advanced to the semifinals after Lapadula, Yotún, Renato Tapia and Trauco scored in the shootout. Paraguay’s Ángel Romero, Alonso and Robert Piris da Motta also converted.
Peru will play its Copa America semifinal on Monday at the Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It lost 4-0 in the group stage of the tournament to Brazil, one of its possible semifinal opponents. (AP)
