SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2015 SPORTS All eyes on Messi Dream Copa America final SANTIAGO: Lionel Messi and Argentina will be chasing a first major title in 22 years late yester- day when they face hosts Chile in a dream Copa America final in Santiago. The three-week South American football showpiece reaches its climax at the Estadio Nacional with Argentina aiming to win their first title since 1993, 12 months after defeat in last year’s World Cup final. Chile are anxious to shed their unwanted tag as the perennial nearly men of South American football, ending decades of hurt by winning a first Copa America crown after nearly a century of failure. Argentina captain Messi has declared himself “desperate” to win an international title after winning every honor at club level with Barcelona. Coach Gerardo Martino said Friday victory for Argentina was almost an “obligation”. “It’s very difficult to imagine what would have happened if we had not reached the final,” Martino said. CHILE: Peru’s Jose Paolo Guerrero (left) receives the Man of the Match award at the end “In reality the expectations this group of play- of the soccer match against Paraguay for the third place of the Copa America.—AP ers generates are so great that sometimes they think winning is an obligation.” Argentina head into the final in buoyant mood after thrashing Peru clinch third place Paraguay 6-1 in the semi-finals. Martino said Argentina’s players had been told to take the CONCEPCION: Paolo Guerrero fired Peru to corner by Peru’s highly rated midfielder emotion out of what is expected to be a highly a third place play-off victory over Paraguay Christian Cueva was headed into the path charged occasion. here Friday to stay in the hunt for Copa of Carrillo by Paraguay’s Raul Bobadilla. The “There is always an emotional factor in the America tournament top-scorer honors. 24-year-old met the clearance with a final, but the guys must ignore that. These are The Flamengo striker, top-scorer at the sweetly struck volley which flew into the the kinds of games where there is so much tied 2011 Copa America, bagged his fourth goal bottom corner past the dive of Paraguay up in the result that you can sometimes change of this year’s tournament with a late strike goalkeeper Justo Villar. the way you approach the match. “But what will as Peru completed a 2-0 victory. Paraguay, thrashed 6-1 by Argentina in bring us the title is to do things as usual.” The goal saw Guerrero join Chile’s the semi-finals, raised their game fleetingly Striker Sergio Aguero insisted that the pres- Eduardo Vargas as joint top-scorer. The 31- and almost snatched an equaliser on 68 sure of ending a 22-year title drought was not year-old’s 25th international goal has also minutes only for striker Edgar Benitez to be getting to Argentina. “It’s true that for many edged him closer to overhauling Peru leg- denied by a superb block from Peru mid- years we have not won anything,” Aguero said. end Teofilo Cubillas’s national record of 26 fielder Carlos Ascues. Peru’s win saw them “But we have many players with experience goals. Peru’s other goal came from Andre repeat their third place finish from the 2011 of winning titles, so the pressure is not a prob- Carrillo in the 48th minute. A dangerous Copa America.—AFP lem. “With the group of players we have, we have got to win a title and we are one step away from doing that.” Since a 6-1 defeat to Argentina No Blatter, no problem in the inaugural South American Championship in 1916, Chile have endured years of frustration. While Argentina will join Uruguay as the most CHILE: Argentina’s Lionel Messi jogs during a training session in Concepcion. Argentina say WCup organisers successful side in the tournament’s history if defeated Paraguay 6-1 on Tuesday and will face Chile in the final of Copa America soccer tour- they win their 15th title on Saturday, Chile are nament. —AP VANCOUVER: Players do not care who FIFA said in a statement that Secretary still waiting for their first crown after finishing hands out trophies and the absence of General Jerome Valcke would also not trav- runners-up four times. Chile have also never to pieces. “Our preparations have been similar and we intend to continue playing the same embattled FIFA president Sepp Blatter will el to Vancouver. Reuters was unable to beaten Argentina at the Copa America in 24 to previous matches. Of course we are taking way.” Sampaoli declined to comment about a not have any impact on the Women’s World determine the specific reasons why Blatter, attempts. Chile’s own golden generation-featur- some things into consideration about our oppo- plan to combat the threat posed by Argentina’s Cup final, organisers said on Friday. With a Swiss national, had decided not to attend ing the likes of Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez and nents, but our system will not change,” Sampaoli “Fantastic Four”-Messi, Aguero, Javier Pastore world soccer’s governing body embroiled the final. Claudio Bravo-believe Saturday represents a said. and Angel Di Maria. “We have spoken to the in corruption investigations, Blatter’s U.S. Some lawyers with experience in inter- now-or-never moment. “We will try to dominate the game and the players about some of our concerns and we based lawyer has told Reuters the FIFA national criminal cases said that Blatter Coach Jorge Sampaoli said Chile would not game may depend on who dominates who. But have communicated some things that we chief will not travel to Vancouver for would be ill-advised to travel after an abandon their trademark attacking style even the system we have used has given us the believe are important to keep in mind so that we Sunday’s final between the United States indictment announced on May 27 by U.S. against an Argentina team which tore Paraguay opportunity to be where we are now, in the final, have a good game,” Sampaoli said. —AFP and Japan. prosecutors against nine current and for- It will be the first time Blatter has not mer FIFA officials and five sports marketing presented the trophy to the winners of the businessmen. women’s competition, which is held every US prosecutors have not accused Blatter, four years, since he became FIFA president 79, of any wrongdoing, but his stewardship in 1998. of world soccer’s governing body is under “The players don’t care who gives them scrutiny, sources familiar with investiga- the trophy to be quite frank with you,” tions in the United States and Switzerland Canadian Soccer Association president have said. Richard Cullen, Blatter’s attorney, Victor Montagliani told reporters during told Reuters that that FIFA Senior Vice the tournament’s final press conference. President Issa Hayatou of Cameroon would “It’s the prerogative of the president, or preside at the trophy ceremony. anybody at FIFA, to go to whatever compe- But Tatjana Haenni, the FIFA deputy tition they want. “The choice was made but director of the competitions division and I actually think in light of the circum- head of women’s football, would not con- stances, the focus needs to be on the firm who would take over the duty. games and the players not the suits that “I think who hands the trophy over and run football like myself or anybody else. what kind of dignitaries we have and what “As I said, whoever wins the World Cup, kind of politicians are in the stands is whether it’s you or me who hands them the maybe for the teams and spectators maybe trophy, I’m sure they are not too bothered not so important,” Haenni told reporters. by it.” “People come to watch the players and Blatter, the self-styled “godfather of watch the game and want to be part of it in women’s football,” said before the tourna- the stadium or on TV or whatever means ment began on June 6 that he was looking they have that is what people are excited forward to being in Canada. about. —Reuters Despite FIFA scandal, the show goes on RIO DE JANEIRO: When Chile hosts Still, big problems could be coming. Argentina late yesterday in the final of the Midway through the three-week tourna- quadrennial Copa America tournament, little ment, officials at Conmebol, as the South may seem out of the ordinary unless the American confederation is known, said they home team, which has never won a major were scrambling to cover a shortfall caused soccer competition, pulls off an upset. when Swiss authorities blocked the bank Behind the scenes, though, it is a wonder account of Datisa SA. That Uruguay-based the event came off. The tournament’s organ- company had purchased the marketing izer, the grouping for South America’s nation- rights, and its Argentine and Brazilian al soccer federations, is scrambling for founders were indicted. EDMONTON: Japan’s Rumi Utsugi (13), Mizuho Sakaguchi (6), Yuki Ogimi (17) and Nahomi Kawasumi (9) celebrate in this file photo.—AP financing and fretting over the fate of senior Datisa still owes the confederation more officials, many of whom were indicted or than half of an $80 million payment that was described as “co-conspirators” in the ongoing due during the tournament. So Conmebol Japan and US set for spicy U.S. probe into corruption in the world’s had to tap a contingency fund.