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Established 1961 27 Sports Thursday, July 4, 2019 Jesus, Firmino send Brazil into Copa final as Messi fails again The uneven pitch looked like it had been trampled by a herd of wildebeest BELO HORIZONTE: Gabriel Jesus and Roberto The first chance came when Argentina’s Leandro Firmino scored the goals as Brazil beat arch-rivals Paredes let fly from 30 yards but the ball whistled just Argentina 2-0 on Tuesday to qualify for the Copa over the top of goalkeeper Alisson’s goal. Brazil took America final. Jesus and Firmino netted a goal apiece in the lead on 19 minutes after a piece of individual bril- each half to give Brazil a victory which ensured Lionel liance from Alves. He beat three players on a mazy run Messi’s frustrating wait for a major international tour- before sending Firmino clear down the right with a no- nament title with Argentina continued. It was the first look pass, the Liverpool forward crossing for the time these age-old rivals had met in a major competi- unmarked Jesus to tap home. tion since Brazil beat Argentina 3-0 in the 2007 Copa Two-footed lunges were flying in as the match final. English-based Jesus and Firmino were the stars, threatened to descend from niggly to dirty. Argentina each creating the other’s goal, although captain Dani almost leveled on the half hour when Sergio Aguero Alves had a major say in the opener. headed Messi’s free-kick onto the bar, the ball bounc- “It was another step towards our objective. We’re ing down just in front of the line before Brazil scram- achieving all the goals that we’re setting ourselves,” bled it clear. Messi then burst into life, driving at heart said Alves. “A lot of people doubt us but we have a lot of the Brazil defense and playing in Aguero, who took of faith in ourselves, in our plan, in our hard advantage of a Thiago Silva slip to make space for him- work.”We’re reaping the fruits of the seeds we’re sow- self but Marquinhos was quickly across to block the ing every day.” But it was a miserable night for Messi, Manchester City striker’s shot. Moments later, Messi whose hopes of landing a major international honor beat two men on the right, won back the ball with a with Argentina ended in disappointment once again. sliding tackle after overrunning it, but then wastefully He will get another opportunity next year, though, shot high and wide. At the other end, Arthur shot pow- with the fourth Copa America in the last five years, due erfully, but straight at goalkeeper Franco Armani. to be played in Argentina and Colombia. “We should have been the team going to the final because we Pirouetting Jesus deserved it, no doubt about that. But sometimes football Argentina pushed Brazil back at the start of the sec- is unfair,” complained Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. ond half and Aguero picked out Lautaro Martinez in the box but he didn’t catch his left-foot volley cleanly BELO HORIZONTE: Argentina’s Lionel Messi (R) is marked by Brazil’s Casemiro (C) and Arthur during their Copa Tackles flying and Alisson gathered comfortably. Another promising America football tournament semi-final match at the Mineirao Stadium. -—AFP In what was always expected to be a feisty affair attacking move ended with Rodrigo de Paul blazing there were some wild early tackles flying in, and over from 20 yards. But Jesus produced a beautiful Argentina’s Nicolas Tagliafico was first to be booked piece of skill, including a pirouetting drag-back, before was alert to clutch a Messi free-kick on 66 minutes that back into the match, Brazil stung them on the counter- for a lunge at Jesus. The uneven pitch looked like it had teeing up Philippe Coutinho who should have done looked destined for the top corner. By then, Scaloni had attack with Manchester City’s Jesus getting away from been trampled by a herd of wildebeest before kick-off better than shooting over. already gone for broke, bringing off midfielder Marcos two defenders and teeing up the unmarked Liverpool and both sides struggled to play flowing football. Moments later, though, a blocked shot from Acuna and sending on speedy winger Angel Di Maria, striker Firmino for a tap in on 71 minutes. Scaloni threw Brazil’s Casemiro was even jeered after sending a long Martinez looped over to Messi who lashed a shot from with Messi dropping into a deeper role. on another forward in Paulo Dybala but there was no crossfield ball straight out of play. an angle against the post, with Alisson beaten. Alisson Just as Argentina looked capable of finding a way way back for Argentina. — AFP USA into World Tunisia, South Africa complete Cup final as Cup of Nations last-16 line-up CAIRO: Tunisia and South Africa filled eight times between them. Hosts Egypt, Houghton the final two places in the Africa Cup of Algeria and Morocco, the three countries Nations last-16 draw Tuesday after a who finished first in groups with perfect tense finish to the group stage in Egypt. three-win records, all face opponents who penalty miss Already-qualified Mali defeated Angola 1- came third. 0 in Ismailia through an Amadou Haidara Mohamed Salah-inspired Egypt meet costs England thunderbolt to win Group E and eliminate South Africa in a fixture sure to fill the the losers from the competition. 75,000-capacity Cairo International Tunisia, ranked second in Africa behind Stadium this Saturday. Morocco face Benin LYON: Alex Morgan scored what proved to Senegal, could only draw 0-0 with debu- in Cairo Friday in the first of the eight last- be the winner but hailed goalkeeper Alyssa tants Mauritania in Suez but the point 16 fixtures and Algeria tackle Guinea Naeher after her late penalty save from Steph secured second place behind Mali. Mali Sunday, also in the Egyptian capital. Houghton allowed holders the United States won the group with seven points followed to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over England by Tunisia with three and Angola and Fairytale qualifiers in their women’s World Cup semi-final on Mauritania with two each. Angola losing Fairytale qualifiers Madagascar stay in Tuesday. meant South Africa sneaked into the Alexandria, where they stunned three- On her 30th birthday, USA co-captain knockout phase, joining Guinea, the time former champions Nigeria to win Morgan headed home her sixth goal of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin Group B, for a showdown with DR Congo. World Cup just after the half-hour mark in as the best four third-place teams. Boosted by a Sadio Mane brace against this last-four showdown to put her team back Mali will face the Ivory Coast in the Kenya, Senegal will face another east round of 16 while Tunisia meet Ghana, African nation, Uganda, for a quarter- in front after Ellen White had cancelled out LYON: United States’ forward Alex Morgan (L) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a who are chasing a seventh consecutive finals place. In Ismailia, Mali made eight Christen Press’s early opener. goal during the France 2019 Women’s World Cup semi-final football match between England top-four finish in the Cup of Nations. changes from the team that drew against But after an open first 45 minutes, the sec- and USA, on July 2, 2019, at the Lyon Stadium. — AFP ond half was dominated by more VAR con- Highlight of the round is the clash of Tunisia with captain Abdoulay Diaby and troversy, with England having another White defending champions Cameroon and ace striker Moussa Marega among those goal disallowed for the tightest of offside calls England to lose, as they go out of a third con- cross from the right was headed in by Press Nigeria, who have won the competition on the bench. — AFP following a review by the Brazilian referee. secutive major tournament in the semi-finals. at the far post. Phil Neville’s team later benefited from Edina Their players cut dejected figures on the Replacing the injured Karen Bardsley in Alves Batista’s decision to award them a pitch at full-time. “Football can be cruel. We goal, Carly Telford could do nothing to stop spot-kick when Becky Sauerbrunn made the have had a fantastic ride. When we got the it, and England were stunned. However, they slightest of contact with White in the box, yet penalty I turned to my bench and said ‘we were back level on 19 minutes as Beth Mead’s Houghton’s 84th-minute kick was stopped by were going to win it,’ but it wasn’t to be,” pinpoint delivery picked out White and she Naeher diving low to her right. Neville told the BBC. steered the ball in off the frame of the goal for England finished with 10 players after her sixth of the tournament. Yet it was the Millie Bright was sent off for a second yellow Rapinoe absence not felt holders who went back in front just after the card late on, and the USA held out to reach Perhaps Nikita Parris should have been half-hour, Morgan stealing in front of Demi the final, despite being without the injured given the chance to make up for her penalty Stokes and heading home Lindsey Horan’s Megan Rapinoe. “Alyssa Naeher, she should misses against Argentina and Norway earlier delivery. She celebrated by miming sipping be the player of the match today.