Category: Football

Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scored a dramatic late winner as Spain triumphed in Sunday’s Euro 2024 final, beating England 2-1 to confirm their re-emergence as a force on the international stage.

England had been dreaming of winning a first title in almost six decades and it looked as if it could be their night as Spain lost influential midfielder Rodri to injury at half-time.

Yet Spain shrugged that off to take the lead within two minutes of the restart through Nico Williams, who was set up by his fellow star winger, Lamine Yamal.

England came from behind as they have done so often at the Euro 2024, with substitute Cole Palmer driving in the equaliser on 73 minutes, moments after entering the fray.

But their resurgence in the game was cut short when Oyarzabal, the Real Sociedad forward, turned in a cross in the 86th minute to hand Spain a record fourth European Championship crown, and a third in the last five editions.

“It has been a marvellous day in which a team has been deservedly crowned champions of Europe,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told broadcaster TVE.

They previously won in 1964, 2008 and 2012, the last two titles coming either side of their triumph at the 2010 World Cup during the golden era of Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso and Andres Iniesta.

Whether this generation, led by the brilliant Yamal playing here a day after his 17th birthday, manages to repeat the achievements of that magnificent side remains to be seen, but theirs was a fitting victory.

Spain have been comfortably the best team throughout the Euro 2024 campaign in Germany and were not intimidated by the atmosphere at the Olympiastadion, where the majority of the crowd were given over to England’s cause.

England had hoped to finally claim a first men’s international title since their fabled victory at the 1966 World Cup but fell just short in their first-ever final on foreign soil.

“To lose the final is incredibly tough,” said their manager, Gareth Southgate. “Congratulations to Spain, they were the best team in the tournament and the best team tonight.”

After the agony of their defeat on penalties to Italy three years ago, England are the first side ever to lose back-to-back Euro finals.

Captain Harry Kane, meanwhile, is left at the age of 30 still looking for the first trophy of a career so rich in goals.

It was always likely that Spain would control this game, and England spent most of the first half chasing the ball.

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Despite Spain’s domination, it took until first-half stoppage time for either team to manage a shot on target, with Phil Foden’s effort from a Declan Rice free-kick being saved by goalkeeper Unai Simon.

But it was just before that chance that Rodri hurt himself, sliding into teammate Aymeric Laporte as he blocked a Kane shot.

Spain’s outstanding holding midfielder was unable to continue and made way for Martin Zubimendi at the restart.

It felt like the loss of such a presence in the middle could completely throw Spain off course, and yet they wasted no time in opening the scoring.

England were braced for the danger to come from Spain’s two wingers, and it was they who combined for the goal, as Yamal collected Dani Carvajal’s pass and darted inside.

He released Williams, who scored with a controlled, low shot into the far corner.

England would now need to come from behind, but that was what they had done in their three previous knockout games.

Southgate took off his talisman Kane on the hour mark and sent on Ollie Watkins, a repeat of the substitution that won the semi-final against the Netherlands.

Spain had chances to increase their lead and their fans began to greet every pass with an ‘ole’, as Southgate decided to send on Palmer for Kobbie Mainoo.

Within three minutes of that England were level when Bukayo Saka’s ball from the right was laid off by Jude Bellingham for Palmer, who found the net with a low first-time effort into the corner.

However, Spain grabbed the winner with four minutes to go thanks to their own super-sub.

Oyarzabal played the ball to Marc Cucurella on the left before racing into the middle to turn his teammate’s cross into the net, staying just onside in the process.

Spain then held on, although only after a vital clearance off the line from Dani Olmo to deny Marc Guehi.

READ: Argentina defeat Colombia 1-0 to win record 16th Copa America

Lautaro Martinez scored an extra-time winner as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 to win a record 16th Copa America title at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

A poor game which had been marred by security and crowd issues, forcing an 82-minute delay, was decided by a quality finish from Martinez — his fifth goal of the tournament.

The win was the third straight major tournament title for Argentina following their 2021 Copa America victory and their triumph in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

There were tears before the celebrations though with Argentina captain Lionel Messi going off injured in the 66th minute watching the rest of the game distraught on the bench, while there was an emotional farewell for Angel Di Maria in his final game for the national team.

For Colombia, whose only title came in the 2001 Copa America, it was a disappointing night when little seemed to work for Nestor Lorenzo’s team.

Colombia’s Jhon Corboba hit the bottom of the post with a speculative shot in the seventh minute but neither side were able to find their flow in the early stages.

Di Maria found Messi in the 20th minute with a low ball into the box and Messi’s left-foot shot was saved by Colombia keeper Camilo Vargas.

Colombia had looked the more lively in the opening period and they went close in the 33rd minute when Jefferson Lerma tried his luck from 25 yards out and his low drive forced Emiliano Martinez into a diving save.

There was concern for Messi in the 36th minute when he dribbled to the byline but was halted by a sliding challenge from Santiago Arias which was ruled fair left the Argentine captain needing treatment.

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Messi, who now plays his club football in Miami, then curled a free-kick in from the left flank but Nicolas Tagliafico’s header was just off target.

It had been a disappointing first half and it didn’t improve much after the break, when the fans had at least received some entertainment from Colombian singer Shakira.

Argentina failed to deal with a James Rodriguez corner and the ball looped to Davinson Sanchez but he was unable to keep down his header which floated over the bar.

There was finally some of the expected quality when Di Maria produced one of his trademark runs in from the left and forced Vargas into action, the Colombia keeper turning the ball wide of the post.

Then came a major blow for Argentine hopes when Messi went down, without contact, as he ran in midfield, and clearly in pain he went off to be replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez in the 66th minute.

It was too much for Messi, in what may have been his last major tournament, as he sat in tears on the bench, unable to hold back his emotions.

The Argentine fans thought they had grabbed a winner in the 75th minute when Tagliafico found Gonzalez in the box, who beat Vargas with a low drive but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Little changed in extra-time with a half-chance from Miguel Borja after a flick from Jorge Carrascal but the game was settled by a worthy winner.

Leandro Paredes won the ball in midfield for Argentina with a perfectly timed tackle, found Giovani Lo Celso whose first time pass was perfect for the on-running Martinez who confidently fired home the winner.

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Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo says his team will need to be at the peak of their powers if they are to beat world champions Argentina and triumph in Sunday’s Copa America final.

Argentina are searching for a third straight major tournament win and for a record 16th Copa America title while Colombia are hoping they can win the continental crown for just the second time.

“We need to be the best Colombia, the best version, to beat Argentina, the champions of everything,” Lorenzo told a pre-match press conference.

“To win against Argentina we have to be very well prepared, because they are the champions, it will be a very demanding match,” he added.

Colombia are unbeaten in their last 28 matches, with 25 of those results coming since Argentine coach Lorenzo took charge of the team.

But while the 58-year-old has seen his team continue to evolve and improve during his tenure, he knows that a final against Lionel Messi and Company will require plenty of adjustments during the game.

“Every day overcoming an obstacle means you grow and we have had several games with these types of situations that made us reinvent ourselves in the game and the team reacted,” he said.

“We are in a very good moment, I think the team still has room for improvement and we hope to have a great performance tomorrow and take a step forward in that sense as well,” he added.

Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni says he doesn’t plan to break with his tried and tested formula with a team that has been together throughout his reign, winning the Copa America in Brazil in 2021 before their triumph at the World Cup in Qatar the following year.

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“It’s a final and each one has its nuances. Our football is not going to change. One of the nice things about football is that you can plan a match and then it turns out very different. We have to try not to miss any detail,” he said.

Scaloni’s tactics and approach have remained broadly consistent but he has adjusted his personnel throughout the competition.

Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez was given the nod over Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez in attack for the semi-final win over Canada and is likely to lead the line again.

The world champions have done enough to progress comfortably through the tournament without ever hitting top form but Scaloni appears satisfied.

“The final finds us in a good moment. I don’t think the team has played worse than it had been doing before, taking into account the rivals and the heat. I don’t know if it’s the best moment, but we’re doing well,” he said.

The Argentina boss is hoping that there is no repeat in Miami of the ugly scenes after Colombia’s win over Uruguay in Charlotte where fans clashed and Uruguay players, who later said they were worried for their families, waded into the melee in the stands.

“The images are bad. (But) I don’t think you can blame them, seeing your family in the middle of the tumultuous situation which isn’t fair. It’s maddening. We need to see that,” said Scaloni

“We ask the players to be examples, but when those things happen, I don’t think anyone would’ve reacted any other way. Its natural.

“I hope nothing like that happens Sunday, from the bottom of my heart,” Scaloni said. “May the fans of Colombia and Argentina enjoy this event. We will all have friends and family there and don’t want to have to worry if something will happen to them. Those images were like something from 50 years ago and should not be happening,” he said.

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Luis Suarez rescued Uruguay with an injury-time equaliser before the South Americans defeated Canada 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out to win the third-place playoff match of Copa America on Saturday.

Uruguay looked to be heading to a shock defeat after the Canadians took a 2-1 lead in the 80th minute through a Jonathan David goal at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.

But former Barcelona and Liverpool star Suarez, who came on as a second-half substitute, swept in a crisp finish from Jose Gimenez in the second minute of injury time to make it 2-2 and send the game to penalties.

In the shoot-out, Canada midfielder Ismael Kone saw his spot-kick saved by Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet before Alphonso Davies saw an attempted panenka hit the crossbar and bounce out to give Uruguay victory.

It marked a disappointing end to the Copa America for Canada, who had been on course for a famous — and deserved — victory before Suarez’s late leveller.

Uruguay had got off to a dream start with Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur firing them into the lead after just eight minutes.

Sebastian Caceres outjumped his marker to knock down for Bentancur, who turned and swivelled before rifling a shot into the roof of the net.

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The Uruguayans almost doubled their lead soon afterwards when a sweeping counter-attack left Canada’s defence scrambling to cover, only for Maximiliano Araujo’s shot to be blocked by Canada goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

That miss proved costly as moments later Kone equalised for Canada with a superb improvised finish on 22 minutes.

Jacob Shaffelburg’s corner was met with a header by Moise Bombito, and Kone lobbed the advancing Rochet with a deft flick to make it 1-1.

Uruguay thought they had equalised almost immediately when Facundo Pellistri got the ball in the net in the 23rd minute. An offside in the build-up however saw the goal chalked off.

Canada meanwhile twice spurned golden opportunities to score just before half-time, Tani Oluwaseyi heading wide from close range on 41 minutes before Jonathan Osorio saw an effort cleared off the line in the 43rd minute.

A flurry of substitutions led to a disjointed second half, and the game seemed to be meandering to a draw until Kone surged forward from midfield 10 minutes from time and unleashed a ferocious shot that Rochet could only parry into the path of David, who tucked away the finish to make it 2-1.

But with victory beckoning, Canada continued to press forward rather than defend their lead, and duly paid the price when Uruguay got in behind their defence to set up Suarez’s equaliser.

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King Charles III has congratulated the England football team on reaching the final of Euro 2024 and jokingly urged them to win the tournament without any nerve-shredding last-minute drama.

Britain’s head of state sent the team his “warmest congratulations” after their 2-1 win against The Netherlands on Wednesday evening and his “very best wishes” for Sunday’s final against Spain.

But he urged them to play with the nation’s blood pressure in mind after fans endured the suspense of a last-gasp equaliser in the second round against Slovakia, a penalty triumph against Switzerland in the quarter-final, and Ollie Watkins’ 90th-minute winner to send them through to the final.

“If I may encourage you to secure victory before the need for any last minute wonder-goals or another penalties drama, I am sure the stresses on the nation’s collective heart rate and blood pressure would be greatly alleviated!” he said.

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“Good luck, England.”

Charles’s son, William, who is president of the Football Association, singled out Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins for praise after he came off the bench to score the winner.

“What a beauty, Ollie! Congratulations England! #EURO2024 Finalists,” wrote the Prince of Wales, who supports the Birmingham club.

William is likely to travel to Berlin for the final of the Euro Cup.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, an Arsenal fan who watched some of the game while attending a Nato summit in Washington, has confirmed he will also travel for the match.

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Bayern Munich on Thursday finally secured the signing of Portugal midfielder Joao Palhinha from Fulham for a reported fee of 49 million euros ($53 million) after coming close to acquiring him last year.

The 28-year-old, who spent two years at Fulham after arriving from Sporting Lisbon in 2022 for 22 million euros, signed a four-year contract.

Bayern Munich had been poised to sign Palhinha in 2023, the defensive midfielder had even posed in the club’s strip, but the deal fell through just before the transfer window closed when Fulham failed to find a replacement.

In a statement, Palhinha said it was “one of the happiest days of my life,” adding “this is a dream come true for me… I want to enjoy success with Bayern and win titles.”

Sporting director Max Eberl said the player was “highly sought after by Bayern even last summer –- and rightly so. It was important that we never lost touch”

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Palhinha, who has scored twice in 31 international appearances, took part in Portugal’s Euro 2024 campaign which ended at the hands of France in the quarter-finals.

His signing is Bayern’s third major arrival of the summer, as the club continues a summer rebuild after a first season without a trophy since 2012.

Forward Michael Olise and centre-back Hiroki Ito have already joined the club, alongside manager Vincent Kompany who was appointed coach at the end of last season.

Kompany will be tasked with returning Bayern to the top of the German football tree after their streak of 11 straight Bundesliga titles was broken last season.

Bayern were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions League by eventual winners Real Madrid, while Bayer Leverkusen won the league and cup double under manager Xabi Alonso.

Kompany will have the added pressure if the  Champions League final is to be held at Bayern’s Allianz Arena next season.

READ: Colombia defeat Uruguay to reach Copa America final

Ten-man Colombia defeated Uruguay 1-0 to reach the final of the Copa America for the first time in 23 years after an ill-tempered semi-final on Wednesday.

A 39th-minute Jefferson Lerma header sealed victory for the Colombians, who will now face defending Copa America champions Argentina in Sunday’s final in Miami.

It was an anarchic semi-final played in front of a packed and passionate crowd which ended with scuffles on the field and fighting in the stands, including several players who had climbed in among supporters amid the flying punches.

Colombia, despite having Daniel Munoz sent off just before the interval and facing plenty of Uruguay pressure, hung on for a famous victory to the delight of their massive following of fans.

The win was the 28th game without defeat for Colombia, setting a new record for the team.

The downtown streets of the North Carolina city were packed with partying fans in bright yellow Colombia jerseys hours before the kick-off.

Not surprisingly in such an atmosphere, Colombia started strongly with their livewire Liverpool winger Luis Diaz doing well to wriggle some space for a cross on the left, finding Daniel Munoz at the back post but the full-back’s header was off target.

Uruguay were, as always, a threat on the counter-attack and their Liverpool star, Darwin Nunez was close to finishing off one break when Rodr Bentancur found him with a clever pass but the forward poked his shot wide.

Nunez had another opening when Maximiliano Araujo played him clear in the inside-right channel but the striker rushed his shot, blasting high and wide.

At the other end, Colombia forced a turnover which led to James Rodriguez curling in a cross from the right but Jhon Cordoba’s header was off target.

The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Lerma rose majestically above Jose Maria Gimenez and powerfully headed home Rodriguez’s corner.

It was the sixth assist of the tournament for Rodriguez with the former Real Madrid midfielder beating the record for most assists in a single Copa, which was set by Lionel Messi in 2021.

Colombia looked to make the most of their momentum with Richard Rios forcing a save out of Uruguay keeper Sergio Rochet, after being played in by Munoz.

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But having been so influential down the right in the opening half, Munoz lost his head completely, just before the break, picking up a second yellow card, after landing an elbow on Manuel Ugarte.

It was a moment of madness which left Colombia to defend their lead with just 10 men for the entire second half.

Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo took off Rodriguez, who was also on a yellow card, in the 62nd minute as Uruguay gradually began to turn their numerical advantage into real pressure.

Nicolas de la Cruz threatened with a low drive before substitute Luis Suarez clipped the outside of the post with a drive from the edge of the box after good work from Federico Valverde.

Valverde, the Real Madrid midfielder, then went close himself with a low drive as Colombia’s back-line continued to ride their luck.

Giveaway from Uruguay’s keeper and fell to Mateus Uribe, who despite time and space placed his shot wide of the post.

In stoppage time Uruguay had a great chance to force penalties when Nunez laid the ball off to substitute Giorgian de Arrascaeta on the edge of the box but he leaned back and put his shot over the bar.

There was still time for Uribe to waste another chance to make sure of the win, this time hitting the bar in the final minute, but he will be forgiven for his wastefulness by the delirious Colombian supporters.

Uruguay’s Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa took the blame for being unable to craft a win against ten men in the second half.

“Uruguay were clearly in a position to win this game…I take special responsibility for not having been able to establish an advantage when we had the players capable of doing so,” he said.

His compatriot and counterpart Lorenzo said he and his team had been rewarded for their positive approach to the game.

“We took the lead, the risk, and we were even brave. When we were down one we kept two strikers…and that is an act of courage that was rewarded,” he said.

The celebrations were marred by ugly scenes in the stands will concern organizers CONMEBOL ahead of the Copa America final, which is sure to attract huge numbers of Argentines as well as Colombians.

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Lionel Messi was on target as world champions Argentina turned on the style to beat Canada 2-0 on Tuesday and reach the Copa America final where they will look for a third straight major title.

The defending Copa champions will face the winners of Wednesday’s semi-final between Uruguay and Colombia in what will be a highly anticipated final in Miami on Sunday.

The 15-times Copa champions produced their best display of the tournament in front of a capacity crowd at the 82,500 MetLife Stadium and as in their 2022 World Cup triumph they look to be peaking at the perfect moment.

“The truth is that it’s crazy what this group has done, what the Argentina national team has been doing,” Messi told TyC Sports after his first goal of the tournament.

“It’s not easy for us to be in a final again, for us to compete again to be champions. I’m living it like I lived it in the last Copa America, in the last World Cup…These are the last battles and I’m enjoying them to the maximum,” said the 37-year-old.

Canada, who surprised many by reaching the last four in their first Copa America appearance, can take great credit for their run in the tournament but Messi and company were simply a step too far.

“I think the tournament caught up with us a little bit,” said Canada’s American coach Marsch, who said he noticed that his players looked tired midway through the first half.

“Eventually the physicality and fatigue can catch up with you and that was a big part of what happened with us tonight,” he added.

Marsch’s side had progressed by hitting teams with high-energy football straight out of the gate but after an early opening for left-winger Jacob Shaffelburg, who fired wide after cutting in from the flank, the South Americans took control and never gave it up.

Angel Di Maria, the veteran wide-man playing in his final tournament for his country, was seeing plenty of the ball down the right and he offered an early warning of his threat when he picked out Messi with a ball inside which the forward flashed just wide of the post.

But it was Rodrigo De Paul who was to create the breakthrough in the 22nd minute, picking the ball up on the halfway line, taking a quick glance up and then lofting the ball over the top to Julian Alvarez.

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The Manchester City forward recalled to the starting line-up ahead of Lautaro Martinez, delivered a deft first touch that took him away from Moises Bombito and gave him just enough room to drive the ball home.

The classy triangle of Di Maria, Messi and De Paul, was a constant source of danger for Canada’s back line and the former threatened a second with a chip from the right which floated over the bar.

The assuredness of Argentina’s build-up play reflects the confidence of coach Lionel Scaloni’s team, a well-drilled unit but one that never allows their organisational solidity to dominate over their creativity.

Two minutes before the break, former Real Madrid winger Di Maria provided a slide-rule pass to Messi, who worked himself space for a shot on his right foot, but he was narrowly wide of Max Crepeau’s right-hand post.

Canada’s American coach Marsch had plenty of work to do at the interval if he was to find a way of getting his team back on level terms and any strategy went out of the window when the world champions doubled their lead, just six minutes after the restart.

The excellent De Paul pulled the ball back from the byline to Enzo Fernandez and his side-foot shot was directed home by Messi in front of goal.

For a moment Canada had hope that Messi may have been offside but the VAR review showed that defender Derek Cornelius had played him onside.

With the two-goal cushion established, Argentina were content to sit back and preserve their energy and invite the Canadians to take them on.

It was not until the final minutes though that Canada were able to trouble Emiliano Martinez with substitute Tani Oluwaseyi forcing the keeper into action after some sloppy defending.

But it was a comfortable victory for Scaloni’s men and one which leaves them one win away from a record 16th Copa America triumph.

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The apex body of football FIFA has recently imitated Pakistan pace bowler Hasan Ali in an Instagram post while appreciating England winger Bukayo Saka on Sunday.

FIFA posted a picture of Bukayo Saka on their Instagram with the caption ‘Saka karlega’ after the winger scored an 80th-minute goal to level the scores in the Euro Cup quarter-final against Switzerland.

Switzerland’s Breel Embolo scored the first goal of the match in the 75th minute, however, Saka scored the equalizer only five minutes later.

England went on to win the match on penalties 5-3. They will face the Netherlands in the semi-finals on July 11.

FIFA’s Instagram post imitated Hasan Ali’s infamous ‘King karlega‘ comment which he made during an appearance at a local podcast last year.

Hasan Ali during the conversation praised Babar Azam highly and revealed that the Pakistan players refer to Babar as ‘King’ in the dressing room.

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“Hum usko Babar nahi King kehte hain… Yaar King karlega,” the fast bowler said.

Hasan’s remarks caught the attention of cricket fans with some seeing the funny side of it and thus turning it into a meme.

For the unversed, Hasan Ali is currently in England to participate in the ongoing County Championship League for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

It’s worth noting that FIFA’s Instagram was targeted at Pakistan’s audience only, hence it is only visible in Pakistan.

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Uruguay beat Brazil on penalties (4-2) to reach the semi-finals of Copa America after an ugly game ended goalless on Saturday.

Uruguay, who finished the game with ten men after Nahitan Nandez was sent off in the 74th minute, will face Colombia in Charlotte, North Carolina, in their semi-final on Wednesday.

Colombia, now unbeaten in 27 games, beat Panama 5-0 in Saturday’s other quarter-final earlier in Arizona.

The other semi-final, in New Jersey on Tuesday, will see world champions Argentina face surprise package Canada.

For five-times world champions Brazil it was a disappointing early end to a tournament in which they never truly clicked, and a lot of work remains to be done if Dorival Junior’s team are to be in shape to compete for the title in the 2026 World Cup.

In a city better known for boxing than for the beautiful game, it was a bruising contest with little quality play and a tournament-high 41 fouls.

A poor quality playing field hardly helped with both teams struggling to produce their best football on an uneven surface.

The first – and best – chance of a game of few opportunities came in the 35th minute when Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez had a clear header in front of goal but mistimed his effort which flew wide off his shoulder.

Within moments, Brazil created an opening of their own with Raphinha breaking clear, but Uruguay keeper Sergio Rochet stayed tall and made a vital save.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay were as tenacious as always, harrying Brazil in midfield and never afraid to interrupt their flow with a foul.

Brazil resorted too often to long balls forward but with only their 17-year-old talent Endrick, in for the suspended Vinicius Junior, as a central striker they lacked the physical presence to make that approach effective.

The game deteriorated the longer it went on with foul after foul, not deterred by lenient refereeing.

But Uruguay’s hopes of wearing Brazil down were dealt a blow when Nandez hacked down Rodrygo with a dangerous slide into his ankle and after a VAR review, the defender was sent off.

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From then on it was clear that Uruguay were simply trying to make it to full-time and penalties and with no extra-time in Copa America, they were able to achieve their aim.

After Federico Valverde scored with the first spot kick, Eder Militao saw his effort saved by the diving Rochet.

When Douglas Luiz hit the post for Brazil, they trailed 3-1 and Jose Gimenez had the chance to clinch the game for Uruguay. His effort was superbly saved by Alisson Becker.

Substitute Gabriel Martinelli scored to keep Brazil alive but midfielder Manuel Ugarte kept his cool to drive home the decisive kick and send the 15-times Copa champions into the last four.

Bielsa praised his team’s calmness in the shoot-out and their desire during the 90 minutes.

“I’m more seduced by attacking than defending, but I have to appreciate that in a tight game we created one more situation than our opponents, we defended well and we played 15 minutes with one less player, which at this level is a real factor,” he said.

“If you ask me if I’m happy with having created three goal situations in 90 minutes, no, I’m not. But our opponents had two,” he said.

“Today we outplayed Brazil in segments of the game and were outplayed in others,” added the Argentine.

For Brazil, the thoughts turn to the need to ensure they make it to the next World Cup after a poor start to CONMEBOL qualifying.

“We leave the tournament undefeated but not satisfied,” said Dorival Junior whose team won once and drew twice in the group stage.

“We didn’t play at a high level from a technical point of view, but I don’t dismiss any of the games. I think there was commitment, and a fighting spirit. At no time did the team stop going for the result,” he added.

“This process needs patience. We have two years to work before the World Cup. The first thing is to qualify for the World Cup because we are sixth in the (South American qualifiers) and it is a position that makes us uncomfortable,” he said.

The Copa America final will be held in Miami on July 14.

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