Friday 47 Sports Friday, June 28, 2019 The gunslinger, assassin and predator: Uruguay-Peru promises a fun goal fest

SALVADOR: Have you heard the one about the ning matches,” said 32-year-old Suarez, the gunslinger, the assassin and the predator? gunslinger, his country’s all-time record Football fans in Salvador attending the Copa goalscorer with 58. He’s scored three times America quarter-final between Uruguay and against Peru in the Copa America alone. Peru soon will because that’s what’s in store for He and Cavani have found the net twice them on Saturday. Three of South America’s each here in Brazil, with the PSG forward bag- most feared forwards will square off, weapons ging the crucial winner in Monday’s 1-0 suc- cocked and ready for battle. cess over champions Chile that allowed Uruguay’s Luis Suarez scored 25 goals for Uruguay to top Group C. “We needed to win, Barcelona last season and Edinson Cavani we wanted to top the group and give a good managed 23 for Paris Saint-Germain. Lining up account of ourselves and continue with this at- opposite them will be Peru’s Paolo Guerrero, a titude,” said ‘the assassin’ Cavani, 32, second player who netted nine times for Brazil’s Inter- only to Suarez with 48 international goals. nacional since April after returning from a 14- month doping ban. With that kind of firepower The Predator on the pitch, fans in the northern Brazilian city Lining up in Peru’s attack will be their own should be in for a feast of goals. all-time top scorer, Paolo Guerrero (37 goals). “Suarez and Cavani are irreplaceable,” said Alongside of Chile, he’s also Uruguay’s coach Oscar Tabarez a few months the top active Copa America goalscorer with ago. “Given their incredibly high performance 12. Guerrero began his senior career in Ger- level, we can expect to achieve much more.” many and after a decade at Bayern Munich and Only hosts Brazil scored more goals than then Hamburg, he left for Brazil where he Uruguay in the group stages — in part thanks helped Corinthians win the Club World Cup, RIO DE JANEIRO: Peru’s Paolo Guerrero (L) scores past Bolivia’s Adrian Jusino after eluding goalkeeper Carlos to a 5-0 thrashing of a self-destructing Peru in scoring the only goal in the final against Lampe (out of frame) during their Copa America football tournament group match at Maracana Stadium. —AFP their final pool match — and only pitch-perfect Chelsea. Colombia managed a better record. But Corinthians’ home stadium in Sao Paulo Uruguay’s dynamic duo, both from Salto in was the scene of Peru’s painful scolding against after serving a 14-month doping suspension the side of these three veteran strikers and this the north west, are feeling confident ahead of the hosts and that’s something Guerrero wants after testing positive for traces of cocaine. may well be one of the last major competitions the knock-out stages of a competition the to put right. While other players are at the end of a long any of them features in. The era of the gun- country has won a record 15 times. “We’re one “We have a rematch where we can make hard season, Guerrero is much fresher having slinger, the assassin and the predator may of the potential winners. We’re Uruguay, the amends, we can do better, correct our mis- played only a couple of months of football be- soon be at an end, but football fans will be team that has won the Copa America the most takes,” said ‘the Predator’ about Peru’s quar- fore the tournament began. hoping they combine in explosive fashion to- times, and we need to demonstrate this by win- ter-final tie. Guerrero, 35, is also raring to go With a combined age of 99, time is not on morrow. —AFP Altidore bicycle kick puts US into Argentina’s Armani quarter-final wary of pacey outsiders Venezuela LOS ANGELES: Jozy Altidore scored with an overhead kick as the United RIO DE JANEIRO: Argentina goalkeeper Franco States finished first in its CONCACAF Armani warned his team-mates on Wednesday not Gold Cup group with a 1-0 win over to be caught out by minnows Venezuela when the Panama on Wednesday. The US won all sides meet in the Copa America quarter-finals. Ar- three of its Group D contests without gentina scraped into the knock-out rounds cour- conceding a goal and will now face Cura- tesy of a 2-0 win over invitees Qatar in their final cao in the quarter-finals on Sunday. pool match having gone into it bottom of Group B. The Americans, who famously missed And now they’re wary of avoiding a banana skin against the tournament minnows, one of only out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup after two of South America’s 10 national sides — the losing to Trinidad, wanted to win other being Ecuador — never to win the Copa. Wednesday to avoid playing Jamaica in “We need to score goals, to be very careful... to the quarters. Jamaica beat the US 1-0 avoid a surprise,” said the River Plate goalkeeper earlier this month when they met in a KANSAS CITY: Jozy Altidore #17 of the United States celebrates after scoring during the second half of the CON- ahead of Friday’s clash at Rio de Janeiro’s Mara- friendly in , DC. The US is al- CACAF Gold Cup match against Panama at Children’s Mercy Park. —AFP cana stadium. Armani said Venezuela would “look most assured of advancing to the semis as to win back the ball quickly and attack” from the they now face the tiny Caribbean Island the first half but failed to finish. Panama Calderon with a perfectly-timed bicycle flanks, where “they have quick players.” of Curacao, who advanced despite scor- goalkeeper Jose Calderon made a smart kick. Altidore is coming back from a ham- And in Newcastle United forward Salomon ing just two goals in group play. Curacao Rondon, they have “a center-forward who holds save off a left foot shot by Altidore in the string injury that forced him to take some up the ball well and has good movement.” While has a population of just 160,000 com- 20th minute to keep it scoreless and that’s time off. “It has been a rough time wait- pared to the US with its population of 14-time former winners Argentina may have been how the teams went into halftime at Chil- ing,” Altidore said. “I am just trying to get a disappointment for many onlookers, Armani 327 million. drens Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. an opportunity again. To score again feels they are finding their form as they progress Panama takes on Group C winners Ja- Altidore’s dynamic goal in the 66th wearing these colors means everything to deeper into the competition. They began with a maica on the same day. The other quar- minute was all the Americans would need me.” The goal was Altidore’s 43rd for the 2-0 defeat to Colombia before benefitting from ter-finals feature Canada against Haiti to earn the three points. After a corner national team, which ranks third all time a couple of contentious decisions in a 1-1 draw and Mexico facing Costa Rica. Both the was headed back across the goalmouth, behind the 57 of Clint Dempsey and Lan- with Paraguay, only securing qualification to the US and Panama had chances to score in Altidore spun off a defender and beat don Donovan. —AFP latter stages with victory over Qatar. —AFP