Chile crowned Copa America champions, wins shootout with Argentina again

Chile today won the Copa America by outshooting Argentina on penalties in a tough, intense game with little football, almost exactly the same situation as in last year's final in which both teams saw expulsions in the first half.

Francisco Silva scored the decisive goal in the penalty shootout and handed Chile the second consecutive Copa America.

With the victory today, Chile rounded off a great tournament which began with a loss to Argentina and culminated in the form of sweet revenge.

For Argentina, the defeat is a new setback, a new cruel fate, the third knockout in the final game in three years, after the World Cup in Brazil and the Copa America in Chile last year, times when the glory was outrun in an agonizing extra time and penalties.

Argentina played better in the first half in which there were two controversial expulsions, one for each team, but Chile took control in the second half. However, both teams missed the few opportunities they had.

Broadly speaking, the final followed the script of the one in Santiago last year, a match of strong teams playing in the center of the field.

Half an hour after the whistle was blown; the match was halted when Marcelo Diaz, who until that moment was a defensive mainstay for Chile, was red-carded. He committed two fouls against Messi, the first clear but the second much debated.

Argentina, however, failed to take advantage of having one man more for fifteen minutes and then both teams were balanced with a rigorous red card for Marcos Rojo.

Following the expulsion, Mascherano pulled back to strengthen defense and Argentina lost control of midfield against a Chile side that played with more intelligence in the second half.

But the control did not develop into chances against Argentina which managed to hold off his rival, although the team was pinned in their own area at times.

In extra time, with a more open start, Vargas and Aguero fired two great shots, although both efforts were blocked by goalkeepers. However, in the final stretch, Chile withdrew, took the game to penalties in which luck returned to smile at Chile.

Following the match, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the Argentinian national team after losing another final, this time against Chile in the penalty shoot-out during the Copa America Centenario final.

"Thinking about it a lot in the dressing room, I believe that the national team is done for me. It is over. I fought for it a lot. I tried. There were four finals and I couldn't win them. I did everything possible. I'm hurt more than anyone but it is clear that it is not for me. I wanted a title with the national team more than anyone and unfortunately it didn't happen," the Argentina captain said.

Source: EFE

Mexico, Venezuela advance to Copa America knockout phase

Mexico and Venezuela advanced to the Centennial Copa America knockout phase with Group C round-robin victories over Jamaica and Uruguay, respectively.

Mexico's early domination of ball possession led to a goal in the 16th minute of Thursday night's game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, when Jesus Manuel Corona set up Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez for a perfectly placed header that snuck just inside the right post off the fingertips of Jamaican net minder Andre Blake.

Mexico then managed to preserve that lead for the remainder of the first half, with defender Yasser Corona getting in the way of one shot inside the area by Garath McCleary and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa turning back another by Jobi McAnuff after some shoddy defense by El Tri.

The Mexicans' attack stalled in the latter part of the first half but came alive after the intermission, eventually leading to a second goal in the 81st minute on a left-footed strike by Oribe Peralta that snuck inside the far post.

Jamaica thought it deserved a penalty in the 64th minute when Nestor Araujo appeared to foul striker Clayton Donaldson in the box, but the referee did not blow his whistle.

With the 2-0 win, Mexico clinched a quarterfinal berth and will play Venezuela on Monday in Houston to determine first place in Group C.

In Thursday night's first game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Venezuela - a traditional baseball powerhouse that has made strides in recent years on the soccer field - advanced to the knockout stage with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay.

The Uruguayans did not manage a single shot on goal in the entire first half, while also appearing out of sorts in midfield and playing porous defense.

Venezuela capitalized in the 36th minute when Alejandro Guerra fired a shot from midfield that nearly surprised goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

The net minder managed to tip the ball off the crossbar, but Salomon Rondon was there to knock it home at close range.

Uruguay had chances to tie the game, but Cristhian Stuani misfired off a corner kick early in the second half and Edinson Cavani fired wide to squander a golden one-on-one opportunity against goalkeeper Dani Hernandez with time winding down.

Uruguay will take on Jamaica, both already eliminated from this hemispheric competition, on Monday in Santa Clara, California, in the final Group C matchup.

Source: EFE

Brasil goleia Colômbia e termina em terceiro lugar na Copa América

O fixo Rodrigo fez dois dos cinco gols na vitória da Seleção sobre a Colômbia (Foto: Luis Domingues/CBFS)

Ao menos com a medalha de bronze a Seleção Brasileira de futsal deixará Portoviejo, no Equador, onde foi disputada a Copa América. Neste domingo, os comandados de Sérgio Schiochet golearam a Colômbia, por 5 a 1, e terminaram a competição em terceiro lugar, já que no sábado o time verde e amarelo caiu para a Argentina nos pênaltis após empate por 2 a 2 no tempo regulamentar.

Após um primeiro tempo equilibrado, em que o Brasil abriu o marcador com Jackson, a Seleção nacional ligou a máquina de gols. Já no começo da segunda etapa Rodrigo chutou forte, de longe, para fazer 2 a 0. Os colombianos descontaram com Barranechea, em cobrança de falta, mas a reação dos adversários pararia ali.

Dois minutos de tomar o gol, o Brasil voltou a ter vantagem confortável com Dieguinho desviando chute cruzado na área: 3 a 1. O placar seria decretado com mais dois tentos. Um de Rodrigo, após receber passe de calcanhar de Simi, e outro de Arthur, que encobriu o goleiro colombiano com leve toque na bola.

A Argentina acabou conquistando o bicampeonato da Copa América após ter goleado o Paraguai na final por 4 a 1. Stazzone, Gonza Abdala, Alamiro Vaporaki e Lucas Bolo foram às redes pela Alviceleste, enquanto Nico Zaffe descontou para os paraguaios. O argentino Santiago Basile, autor de um dos gols contra o Brasil, foi eleito o melhor jogador do torneio. Já Juan Salas, do Paraguai, levou o troféu de artilheiro por ter marcado dez gols na competição.

Posto isso, a Seleção Brasileira encerrou sua participação na competição continental com quatro vitórias e um empate. Na primeira fase, a equipe nacional venceu Uruguai, Colômbia e Venezuela. Esta foi a segunda vez que o Brasil não conquistou a Copa América. Com nove títulos no histórico, o País não levou o caneco em 2003, quando viu a Argentina erguer o troféu.

O próximo desafio da Seleção será um amistoso contra Portugal, na Arena Castelão, em Fortaleza, no dia 22 de setembro. A partida terá como destaque o retorno do craque Falcão à equipe verde e amarela.

Fonte: http://www.gazetaesportiva.net/futsal/brasil-goleia-colombia-e-termina-em-terceiro-lugar-na-copa-america/