Chavez and Diego Kick-off Copa
Venezuela opened the Copa America on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 with Group A–Uruguay giving up 3 goals to Peru while Venezuela and Bolivia played to a 2-2 draw.
Group B followed on Wednesday with Chile out-blasting Ecuador 3-2 and the real shock of Mexico defeating Brazil 2-0.
The press has slated Uruguay’s opening loss as a shock, but, in truth, the land of Francescoli has lacked a traditional edge for a number of years now while Peru, with players like new Chelsea-man Pizarro, might just make a name for themselves.
The Bolivian draw was more the surprise as it was the recall for the MLS striker, Jaime Moreno, to pull the National jersey on once again, and the DC United striker paid back his country’s faith by providing the 1st goal in Bolivia’s persistence to equate the game as they came back each time from a goal behind. There were shouts of penalty at the end for Venezuela that made the Gold Cup affair look like the touch of a feather.
After the Gold Cup, only so much can be said of all the media upheaval and speculation about Hugo Sanchez and the failures of Mexico.
It looks like the Mexican expatriate knows how to show the class when it really counts. Of course he promised a Copa de Oro medal, but that was down to horrible officiating, rather than team class.
For some reason I think that for the Mexicans it is a sweeter win [against Brazil] than a victory over the United States would have been if it meant the Gold Cup Champions. At least for Neri Castillo and Co., the quality and class in each strike outweigh almost the sum of all the goals produced in the Gold Cup.
Ecuador was looking to build off their success in the World Cup in Germany last summer, but fell in high-power action to Chile and will have to climb in the next two games to have a chance for progression.
In Group C it was raining goals in the opening 2 matches. Paraguay totalled ripped to shreds Columbia behind the hat-trick of Santa Cruz. The US also felt the pain as Argentine outshined the stars-and-stripes 4-1 even after going behind to Eddie Johnson’s penalty strike.
WordPress database error: [Table 'wp_comments' is marked as crashed and last (automatic?) repair failed]
SELECT * FROM wp_comments WHERE comment_post_ID = '391' AND comment_approved = '1' ORDER BY comment_date