Argentina reach last eight
Gabriel Heinze's Argentina completed a clean sweep of Group C with
a 1-0 win over Paraguay in Thursday's Copa America
encounter.
The United defender was rested after featuring in the demolitions
of the USA and Colombia, so it was left to another Premier League
star, Liverpool's Javier Mascherano, to grab the headlines with a
goal 11 minutes from time. The Reds' rumoured transfer target,
Carlos Tevez, played a full 90 minutes.
After a defensive first period, both teams appeared to take more
chances in the second half and Tevez, in particular, began to
engineer space for himself.
The 23-year-old West Ham forward hit the post midway through the
half before Rodrigo Palacio also struck the woodwork.
The breakthrough finally arrived courtesy of two 67th-minute
substitutes. Barcelona starlet Lionel Messi, on for Inter Milan's
Esteban Cambiasso, whipped in a cross from the left that eventually
fell to Mascherano on the edge of the penalty area. The unlikely
goal hero, who, along with Tevez, has been the subject of so much
transfer scrutiny since joining West Ham in August 2006, coolly
slotted the ball inside the post to wrap up the points.
The win sealed Argentina's spot at the top of the group and earned
a quarter final berth against Group A runners-up Peru. That game,
at Barquisimeto's Estadio Metropolitano de Futbol de Lara, will
take place on Sunday 8 July (23:50 BST, Sky Sports 2).
Despite the loss, Paraguay still progressed to the next stage and
will face Mexico in Sunday's other quarter final (21:05 BST, Sky
Sports 2).