Uruguay: “The spoiler beat the favourite”
Uruguay broke Argentina's hearts, beating the hosts 5-4 on penalties to book a Copa America semi-final with Peru after Carlos Tevez missed the crucial spotkick.
Tevez, on as a late substitute, saw Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera save the third Argentinian attempt as the albiceleste crashed out to extend a trophy drought going back to 1993.
“This was like a final. We played an Argentine side with a fantastic attack and had to scrap - but we have put out our biggest rivals,” said Uruguay defender Diego Lugano, although Brazil, who meet Paraguay on Sunday, are another tough nut still alive.
Diego Perez had given Uruguay a fifth-minute lead but Gonzalo Higuain levelled 12 minutes later.
Thereafter, a gritty encounter failed to produce further breakthroughs, despite the additional half-hour, with both sides having a goal chalked off for offside and also ending the contest with 10 men.
Perez was sent off on 38 minutes for a second yellow card and then Argentina lost skipper Javier Mascherano in the 86th minute for a bad tackle from behind on Luis Suarez.
Lionel Messi strove manfully to provide the creative spark to snatch a win against Diego Forlan's Uruguayans in a battle of two sides which have won the event a record 14 times each.
But the Barcelona man was frustrated throughout despite creating the Higuain goal.
And after Messi and Forlan had converted their kicks before Tevez fluffed his lines, Martin Caceres drove home the winning penalty as Uruguay moved into a semi-final against Peru, conqueror of Colombia.
Argentina thus fell victim to the curse of the Elephants Graveyard, the nickname of Colon club's Santa Fe stadium, scene of many a domestic shock in the past.
Peru had provided a shock of its own in seeing off favoured Colombia 2-0 in extra-time and will meet Uruguay next Wednesday (AEST) at La Plata.
In the remaining quarter-finals tomorrow, the Brazilians take on Paraguay at La Plata while Chile go up against surprise package Venezuela in San Juan near the Chilean border. (AFP)
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Now all you have got to do is let Peru win :-))))))
Next stop Callao in Peru for a four-day break. On arrival there were the all-important official calls carried out by the captain as he paid courtesy visits to senior Peruvian officers, whose port authority laid on buses for the ship’s company so they could move between the harbour and the sights of nearby Lima.
A dozen officers from the Peruvian Naval Academy visited York for a discussion about dealing with the scourge of drug-running at sea and, on a less serious note, some 40 youngsters from Lima orphanage Casa Wasi Warmi were entertained with a tea party and a tour of the ship.
On sailing from Callao, York spent a day in company with the veteran Peruvian frigate BAP Montero. Several Yorkies sailed aboard the Montero and six Peruvians, well you get the picture.
It has been a crazy copa, absolutely ALL outsiders in quarters have eliminated the respective favorites.
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