Welcome back to the Brazil Sports newsletter. After a week of low-scoring quarterfinals in the Copa America, we are looking forward to two mouth-watering clashes in the semifinals on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is also the latest on the Brazilian F-1 GP and plans to move it from São Paulo to Rio, and we look at the latest Brazilian drafted into the NBA. Happy reading!
Poor Copa America quarterfinals set up final four grudge matches
While certainly tense, the quarterfinals of this year’s Copa America were a huge letdown in terms of entertainment value. Only two goals were scored across the four matches, with three ties being decided on penalty shootouts after stalemates in 90 minutes.
Brazil edged past a resilient Paraguay on Thursday night, winning 4-3 on penalties. The hosts dominated the match, with Paraguay far more comfortable sitting as deep as possible and relying on their spectacular last-ditch defending. However, throughout the 90 minutes, Brazil couldn’t find a way through, struggling to vary their attacks and score the elusive opening goal.
Goalkeeper Allison was the standout performer, making some important saves during normal time and saving a penalty in the shootout. Curiously, in the 2015 and 2011 editions of the Copa America, Brazil faced Paraguay in the knockout stages and were eliminated, both times, on penalty kicks.
With Argentina, Chile, and Peru also making it through, the semifinals of this year’s tournament will see the latest editions of the continent’s two fiercest international rivalries. Chile take on Peru on Wednesday evening, in the so-called Clásico del Pacífico, and before that, we have no less than Brazil v. Argentina.
Football fans outside of South America may be shocked to know that the Chile-Peru rivalry is such a strong one, but history buffs will not be surprised. At the end of the 19th century, Chile fought the War of the Pacific against a Peru-Bolivia alliance. The former ended up victorious, and significantly expanded its territory in the process, making Bolivia a landlocked country and annexing the Peruvian departments of Arica and Tarapacá.
The countries have been at each other’s throats ever since, making football encounters between Chile and Peru some of the tastiest South America has to offer.
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