Copa America Archives

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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Uruguay down Canada on penalties to win Copa America third-place playoff

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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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-led Argentina see off Canada to reach Copa America final

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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Uruguay beat Brazil on penalties to reach Copa America semi-finals

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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Lionel Messi doubtful for Copa America quarter-final against Ecuador

Argentina captain Lionel Messi is doubtful for the upcoming Copa America quarter-final clash against Ecuador with coach Lionel Scaloni saying he will wait before deciding on his team.

Messi missed Argentina’s final group stage match on Saturday, a 2-0 win over Peru, after complaining of a sore right hamstring.

Argentina will hold a training session later on Wednesday and Scaloni said he would make any decision afterwards.

“We’ll wait a couple of hours and make the decision. It is always better to have one more day,” he told a press conference.

“Yesterday we had good feelings and we’ll take this day to define the team based on the response we get today,” he added.

Scaloni said he would consult with the 37-year-old Messi about his readiness for the game.

“We’ll try to get him in and then, if he’s not (ready), we’ll look for the best solution for the team. I’ll talk to him today. I think it’s fair that he takes his time and trains as much as possible,” he said.

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Scaloni made nine changes against Peru as he took the chance to rotate his squad with qualification to the knockout stage already secured.

Should Lionel Messi not be ready to start against Ecuador, Scaloni could start with both Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez as twin strikers in attack.

Lautaro is the top scorer in the Copa America so far with four goals from three games, including a double against Peru while Alvarez found the target in the opening game against Canada.

“They have already played together against this rival. We will make the decision after today’s training session. We are not ruling anything out because they have worked well and it is an option, it could be,” said Scaloni.

“Lautaro is doing very well, in a good moment, the same as Julian. Lautaro has not only done well, but he has waited for his chance and that makes me very happy. They both scored goals, let’s hope that streak continues tomorrow. We are satisfied with their contributions,” he said.

Ecuador coach Felix Sanchez said he doesn’t expect a radical change of approach from Argentina — with or without Messi.

“We know we are playing a high level team, Lionel Messi is the player that makes the difference and we have played against them with him and without him on the field,” he said.

“Their gameplan doesn’t change much – they are a group who have been with their head coach for a long time, they know their gameplan and we have had to be ready either way,” added the Spaniard.

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Lionel Messi to miss Argentina-Peru Copa America clash: team

Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s final Copa America group game against Peru after complaining of muscle tightness, team officials said on Friday.

Assistant coach Walter Samuel told a press conference that the Inter Miami superstar was “day-by-day” following an injury to his right adductor muscle.

“Leo had a problem in the last game, he won’t be there for this game,” Samuel said. “We are going to go day-by-day waiting for its evolution.”

Samuel, meanwhile, played down the impact of Lionel Messi’s absence on the rest of the team.

“The team has always proven to be up to the task before when he wasn’t there,” said Samuel, hinting that veteran Angel Di Maria may start in place of Messi.

Argentina have already booked their place in the quarter-finals after wins against Canada and Chile in their opening two matches.

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A draw in Saturday’s game against Peru at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will guarantee Argentina qualify for the last eight as group winners.

Argentina is expected to rest several first-choice players against Peru, although Samuel insisted on Friday the world champions would seek a win.

“Peru has top players; we are taking this game with the utmost seriousness,” said Samuel, who will be in charge on the bench with coach Lionel Scaloni serving a one-game suspension.

Scaloni and Argentina were sanctioned after the team were late to emerge for the second half in their games against Chile and Canada.

Samuel said Scaloni was “a little bitter” about the suspension.

“We consider ourselves a correct coaching staff and in all these years we’ve never had these kind of sanctions,” Samuel said.

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Costa Rica hold Brazil for stalemate in Copa America

LOS ANGELES: A lacklustre Brazil launched their Copa America campaign with a dour 0-0 draw against Costa Rica on Monday at SoFi Stadium.

Brazil, chasing a 10th Copa America crown, dominated possession and territory in the Group D game but struggled to break down a resolute Costa Rica side.

The Brazilians thought they had taken the lead in the 30th minute after Marquinhos tapped in at the back post after a flick on by Rodrygo following a free-kick by Raphinha.

But after an agonising VAR delay, the goal was chalked off for a fractional offside decision as Costa Rica escaped.

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That was as good as it got for Brazil, who laboured to break down Costa Rica’s defence for the remainder of the game, registering just three shots on target despite enjoying 73.5 percent possession.

Costa Rica were content to sit back, defending in numbers and rarely venturing forward with any purpose.

The Costa Ricans failed to have a single shot on goal for the entire game.

The result means Colombia finished the day on top of Group D after collecting all three points in their deserved win over Paraguay at Houston’s NRG Stadium.

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James Rodriguez steers Colombia past Paraguay at Copa America

James Rodriguez rolled back the years with a vintage performance to help Colombia open their Copa America campaign with a 2-1 victory over Paraguay in Houston on Monday.

Rodriguez, whose club career has languished in the decade since he rose to prominence with a dazzling performance at the 2014 World Cup, created both of his team’s goals in a deserved Group D victory at the NRG Stadium.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who has played just a handful of minutes for Brazilian club Sao Paulo in the two months leading into the Copa America, set up the opening goal for Colombia in the 32nd minute.

After finding space on the left flank, Rodriguez flighted a pinpoint cross to the far post to pick out Daniel Munoz, who beat Paraguay goalkeeper Rodrigo Morinigo with a firm downward header to make it 1-0.

Ten minutes later Colombia doubled their lead and again it was a goal engineered by the trusty left boot of Rodriguez.

This time the goal arrived from the opposite flank, with Rodriguez swinging in a wicked free-kick that was glanced in by Crystal Palace midfielder Jefferson Lerma.

That made it 2-0 at half-time to leave Colombia firmly on course to extend their unbeaten streak to 24 games.

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Colombia continued to carve out the better chances in the second half, but Paraguay set up a nervy finish after Brighton and Hove Albion’s Julio Enciso pulled one back in the 69th minute.

Ramon Sosa crossed from the left and Enciso punished slack marking in the Colombia area to hook an angled first-time volley into the bottom corner past Camilo Vargas.

Colombia, however, controlled play after the Paraguay goal and looked the more threatening team.

The Colombians thought they had earned a penalty in the 84th minute when another teasing Rodriguez cross into the box ended with defender Yerry Mina appearing to be hauled down by Gustavo Velazquez.

Argentinian referee Dario Herrera pointed to the spot but subsequently overturned the decision after a VAR review.

Colombia play Costa Rica in their second group game of the tournament on Friday, before wrapping up their first-round campaign against Brazil on July 2.

Brazil open their Copa America campaign against the Costa Ricans in Inglewood, California, later on Monday.

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Chile, Peru settle for goalless draw in Copa America

Two-time Copa America champions Chile opened their bid for a third title with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Peru in Arlington on Friday.

A scrappy encounter at the Texas home of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team saw neither side manage to get on top before a result that boosts Argentina’s hopes of winning Group A.

Chile were left ruing a golden missed chance from veteran Inter Milan forward Alexis Sanchez in the 16th minute.

Sanchez, one of the heroes of Chile’s back-to-back Copa America victories in 2015 and 2016, was teed up in the six-yard box after a low pass from Victor Davila.

But with plenty of time and space, the 35-year-old somehow scooped his shot over the bar as Peru were given a huge let-off.

“I had one or two chances and this is the Copa América — when you have a chance you have to make it,” Sanchez said afterwards.

Despite his frustration in front of goal, Sanchez insisted Chile were satisfied with their display.

“The feeling is good. I am happy with the performance. I am excited,” said the former Barcelona and Arsenal forward.

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Sanchez’s botched effort ended up being the best chance of the night for Chile, who enjoyed 65% possession yet only managed one shot on target during the game.

A disjointed encounter never really got going, with some 37 fouls breaking up play and contributing to a lacklustre spectacle.

Peru’s best chance came near the hour mark when Gianluca Lapadula volleyed over from close range.

Peru’s Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati was encouraged by his team’s performance.

“In the first half Chile had more possession of the ball, although they could not do much damage to us,” he said. “I saw a Peru with a very good attitude, but anxious and with little confidence when it came to playing. But we improved substantially in the second.

“I didn’t see anything in Peru that couldn’t be corrected. I know we’re not a machine, but we are taking steps in the right direction.”

The result leaves Argentina, 2-0 winners over Canada in the tournament’s opening game on Thursday, two points clear at the top.

Chile face Argentina in their second match on Tuesday in New Jersey in a replay of the 2016 Copa Centenario final at the same venue.

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