FInally something in Copa America has gone according to plan. In a tournament filled with upsets and boring, unattractive play, Uruguay bucked the trend by expectedly beating Peru handily with great style and quality. The semifinal started with Uruguay dominating, but the scoreboard didn't reflect it until two second half goals gave the favorites the 2-0 lead they would hold onto until the final whistle. The win puts Uruguay in the final against either Paraguay or Venezuela and one win away from a record 15th Copa America title.
Copa America 2011 Semifinals, Uruguay Vs. Peru: Uruguay Advance To Final With 2-0 Win
The first half was all Uruguay. They pressured and pressured and pressured Peru, but it didn't show itself on the scoreboard. Luis Suarez shot just wide of the goal. Raul Fernandez made a fine save to deny what looked like a sure Uruguay goal. Twice Peru was able to slide across for last second blocks of crosses that almost surely would have resulted in goals. The chances kept coming, but the goals did not and at halftime Peru was somehow still even with Uruguay.
Seven minutes after halftime, Uruguay had their goal. Diego Forlan cut across the field from the right and unleashed a good shot from 30 yards. While it may have been a good shot, at the very least Fernandez show have been able to push the low drive away from goal or out for a corner kick. Instead he spilled it into the path of Suarez, who slotted home the rebound to put Uruguay on top.
Suarez wasn't done though and five minutes after scoring his first goal, the Liverpool man made it two. Alvaro Pereira had the ball in his own half, but he spotted Suarez making a run in behind the Peru defense, which was trying to draw Suarez offside. Pereira played a perfect ball to a perfectly timed Suarez run and Suarez easily rounded the rushing keeper before finishing in the open goal to double the Uruguay lead.
Peru did their best to come back, grabbing a better hold of the match after Suarez’s second goal than they had all match, but it wasn’t enough. Fernando Muslera, who was brilliant in the quarterfinals, looked shaky. Once he let a ball slip through his hands and had to dive on it before it went across the line and another time he hopelessly slapped at a cross, but neither went in.
Uruguay was able to see out the match and close up their 2-0 victory over Peru. For Peru, the semifinals is a massive accomplishment, while Uruguay still has their dream of a Copa America title alive. On Sunday, they’ll be able to make their final case for it as they play in Buenos Aires in the final.
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