Derlis Gonzalez is Paraguay’s hero – Brazil out

The drama on Friday night was extended until the last possible moment. Argentina needed penalties to get by Colombia in a game which was heavily dominated by the Albiceleste. Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina put on a show and gave his Colombian teammates the (through 90 minutes highly unlikely) chance to come out as winners on penalties. But it was not meant to be. 3 misses were one too many, and after Murillo could not convert the seventh penalty...

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First semifinal complete – Chile vs Peru

The first two quarterfinals of the 2015 Copa América have been played, and the outcome was on one side very controversial and on the other side more than deserved. Let’s get to the facts first of all. Chile beat Uruguay 1-0 while Peru were too strong for Bolivia, winning 3-1. So far, so good. Now where is the controversy? The game between the hosts and the record champion was overshadowed by a questionable performance from the Brazilian referee Sandro...

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Copa América – Quarterfinal previews & predictions

Chile vs Uruguay (June 24) One of the most intriguing quarterfinals starts off the round. Chile were convincing in the group stages playing offensive power football, while scoring a whole 10 goals. Despite a 3-3 draw, they kept a clean sheet two times. If you look at keys to beat a team like Uruguay you will not get past a good defensive performance. After watching a lot of football at this tournament, I have to say Chile are the only favorite that...

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Chile cruise to Group A win – Ecuador still hope

At the end of the day, Chile did not leave any questions. Ever since the Vidal accident under influence of alcohol, people were wondering what kind of team from the hosts we would see in the last match against Bolivia. While coach Sampaoli stated early, that Arturo Vidal would remain a key part in the first 11, the incident brought up a lot of disturbance around the team. The team itself did not seem to be bothered the slightest in the meantime....

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3 reasons why Brazil will go far

If you watched Brazil’s opening fixture in Group C on Sunday evening/night, you probably felt underwhelmed just like most others did. It took them until the 92nd minute to score the winning goal against Peru, who were on the same level. And Brazil is supposed to be a favorite? They did not show it on that day, but here is why they still are. 1. Brazil are clutch While you saw the big football nation crumble under pressure at their home World Cup...

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Super Barrios - Paraguay pull one out of the hat late

On the third day of the Copa América, Group B played their first games. Uruguay beat Jamaica 1-0, the game itself was not particularly pretty. Cristian Rodríguez scored the winner in the 52nd minute. The game I am going to write about in detail will be Argentina vs Paraguay though. Inevitably, some big names had no place in Argentina’s starting 11, and this time it was Carlos Tevez as well as rightback Pablo Zabaleta, who found themselves on the...

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Uruguay vs Jamaica – Preview

After the Copa América is now finally underway, it is time for the first match in Group B. The teams meeting each other could not be much further apart. Title holders and record champions Uruguay face CONCACAF team Jamaica, who were invited as a guest team for this year’s edition. Will the fans in the Estadio Regional de Antofagasta still be witnesses of an interesting and exciting match? Let’s just say, there are at least doubts on my end. Uruguay...

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La Roja start in style – Alexis makes the difference

The scene was set and Chile was ready to go: After a spectacular opening ceremony, the Copa América 2015 could finally get underway with the opening match between the hosts Chile and Ecuador. The lineup’s did not provide any big shocks, I expected Vargas for Chile, he did not start. Instead an additional defender in Mena came into the starting 11 which forced experienced Beausejour into a more offensive role. Ecuador in return put everything on...

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Chile vs Ecuador – Opening match preview

The Copa América will finally start in two days (Friday morning 1:30am MEST for you Central Europeans). How would you start the huge continental competition better than with the hosts being involved? Chile will start off their campaign against Ecuador in Santiago’s Estadio Nacional. 15 times have these two nations met in history and the statistics could not be much more even: Six wins for each Chile and Ecuador, along with three draws. The last...

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Dropping like flies – Injury trouble for Brazil

Under two weeks ahead of the Copa América start, Brazil’s worries are not getting any smaller. After goalkeeper Diego Alves and defender Marcelo last week, now Luiz Gustavo who still scored in the German cup final last weekend, has to undergo knee surgery and will miss the tournament. The midfielder had no apparent problems beforehand, so it is to be expected that he got injured in said match. Luiz Gustavo (left) and Marcelo (middle) will miss...

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