The Hindu : Sport / Football : Mexico swept by Brazilian wave

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004

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Sport - Football

Mexico swept by Brazilian wave

PIURA (PERU), JULY 19. Traditional powers Brazil and Uruguay set up a semifinal showdown by trouncing two group winners in the Copa America on Sunday.

Brazil outclassed Mexico 4-0 at Miguel Grau Stadium, after Uruguay eliminated Paraguay 3-1 from a goal down at Tacna.

Brazil and Uruguay will meet in Wednesday's semifinal at the capital Lima for the first time at the Copa since the 1999 final, which Brazil won 3-0. Argentina and defending champion Colombia meet in the first semifinal at National Stadium on Tuesday.

It's Adriano's day

Adriano became the Copa America's leading scorer with five goals after he netted for Brazil in the 65th and 78th minutes to make it 3-0. He drew the penalty which Alex converted in the 27th, and backheeled to replacement striker Ricardo Oliveira, who scored into an empty goal in the 87th.

The victory ended Brazil's six-game drought against CONCACAF champion Mexico, after four losses and two draws since a 2-0 win in the 1999 Copa semifinals.

Brazil dominated Mexico, which struggled to break down the defence and outstanding goalkeeper Julio Cesar, and squandered a bunch of corners and a few good scoring chances.

Adriano received the penalty kick call during a breakaway in the 25th. The Inter Milan forward took a running shot which Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez spilled forward, and as Adriano recovered and dribbled past Sanchez he was tripped.

After Alex made it 1-0, Adriano had another hard shot on goal, but Sanchez deflected it with his right leg. Mexico then had three consecutive free-kicks in front of goal to end the half, and two flew high, while Cesar had to parry a bullet by Hector Altamirano.

Five minutes after the break, Brazil's energetic Juan had a goal disallowed for pushing, although TV replays appeared to show he jumped off a teammate.

Alex then set up Luis Fabiano with a beautiful long ball, but defender Salvador Carmona came from behind and slid in front of Fabiano's shot, which rolled wide of the goal.

Moments later, Mexico striker Adolfo Bautista headed from point blank and Cesar had to make a great reflex save.

Alex's pass set up Adriano's first goal, recalling the combination which scored two goals against Costa Rica a week ago, then Adriano wrestled off two defenders and beat Sanchez to a pass in the box, and hit a sharp-angled shot into the empty goal for Brazil's third goal.

For the last, Adriano tapped a rebound away from Sanchez and backheeled to Oliveira, who'd been on the field only two minutes.

Brazil, with only Kleberson from its 2002 World Cup champion squad, beat Mexico for the 19th time in 30 matches. Mexico has won seven times, and four matches ended in a draw.

Century by Uruguay

In Tacna, Uruguay continued to confound its own supporters by downing Paraguay 3-1 on two second-half goals by Sevilla forward Dario Silva.

Silva scored the game-winner only a minute after Uruguay was reduced to 10 men. Despite struggling in World Cup qualifying and being snarled in a bitter pay dispute with its national federation, Uruguay reached the last four for a third successive Copa.

The victory was also Uruguay's 100th in the Copa, second only to Argentina's 105 since 1916. Carlos Gamarra, one of the few veterans in Paraguay's Olympic squad, opened the scoring in the 15th minute, slipping behind a sleeping Uruguayan defence to score on an expert header off Edgar Barreto's free-kick.

But Gamarra opened the way for Uruguay to equalise in the 39th, tripping up forward Carlos Bueno in the penalty area. Bueno easily converted the penalty as goalkeeper Justo Villar dived the other way.

After the break Uruguay continued to press forward in an open game, and the 14-time champion's all-out attack paid off again in the 65th.

Only a minute before, defender Gustavo Varela was ejected for too many yellow cards, but teammate Silva trapped a pass from Cristian Rodriguez, and swivelled on his right foot to shoot a left-footer which glanced off Paraguayan defender Julio Manzur and in for 2-1.

Silva celebrated with a cartwheel and somersault, while coach Jorge Fossati crossed himself, kissed his ring finger and threw both arms to the heavens.

Silva scored a solo goal in the final minutes, beating a defender onto a long ball and hacking it under Villar. — AP

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