TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2021 11 Peru vanquish Venezuela to seal Copa last eight spot Ecuador hold Brazil, qualify for Copa America last eight Ecuador held a below-strength Brazil to a 1-1 draw to advance • The draw moved Ecuador to fourth BETTER spot in Group B AFP | Brasilia KNOW Venezuela’s Sergio Cordova in action with Peru’s Renato Tapia AFP | Brazilia much-changed Brazil failed to win for the first Brazil had already A time in 11 games but still qualified in first place eru clinched a 1-0 win over qualified top in Group B for in Group B and rested PVenezuela in the Copa the quarter-finals of the Copa a number of regulars, America on Sunday, striking America on Sunday after draw- with Gabriel Barbosa, early in the second half to seal KNOW WHAT ing 1-1 with Ecuador in Goiania. Everton, Douglas Luiz, their place in the last eight of The draw at an empty sta - the competition. dium in central Brazil marked Fabinho and Douglas Luis among those get- The result means Peru qual- the first time Brazil have not Ecuador’s Angel Mena scores their first goal ify from Group B in second The win ended a run picked up a win since they lost ting a chance from the place behind hosts Brazil, of drawn games be- 1-0 to Argentina in a friendly in an hour that Brazil regained start along with Colombia and Ec- tween the two South November 2019. their poise. uador. Venezuela were elimi- American countries The host nation had already Nevertheless, neither side nated, finishing bottom after going back to another qualified in first place in Group We played a good first made many clear-cut chances The Venezuelans were hard failing to register a win in the B and rested a number of reg- half where we managed and as a draw suited both teams hit in the early stages of the group stages. 1-0 Peru victory at the ulars, with Gabriel Barbosa, the game petered out slightly. tournament when at least eight Ecuador edged above Ven- Copa America in 2015 Everton, Douglas Luiz, Fabinho to impose our style of “We knew it would be a diffi- players tested positive for COV- ezuela in the group by man- and Douglas Luis among those play. The first half was cult game,” said Paqueta. ID-19 and had to self-isolate. aging to claim a draw in the getting a chance from the start. much better than the “In the first half we man - The quarter-final matchups evening’s other game against themselves a tad unlucky as Lucas Paqueta was a bright second. Now we’re in aged to neutralise their style of was to be decided after the last regional giants Brazil, who the ball ricocheted around the presence in a team that missed the decisive part, the play and pass the ball around round of Group A fixtures. failed to win for the first time penalty area, including off a Neymar’s creativity going for- knock-out stage, so we and score, (but) in the sec - Argentina, Chile, Paraguay in 11 games but still qualified Venezuelan defender, before ward but most of the replace- have to work on playing ond half they scored and that and Uruguay have already guar- top in the group for the quar- being swept into the net by ments failed to impress even complicated the way we play. anteed their place in the last ter-finals. Carrillo, who had also salvaged though Brazil went in 1-0 up at our best football for the The objective was to win but eight but the final round of fix- Peru’s André Carrillo gave a draw in the previous game half time thanks to an accom- full match the main objective was to fin- tures will decide who plays who. his team the lead after 48 min- against Ecuador. plished header from defender BRAZIL DEFENDER MARQUINHOS ish in first place and we did Bolivia are already out, hav- utes, firing high into the net The win ended a run of Eder Militao. that.” ing lost all three of their games from close range after a corner drawn games between the two Brazil had won their first Mena equalised for Ecuador With Peru defeating Venezue- so far. led to a goalmouth scramble South American countries go- three group games but were with a thumping drive after 53 la 1-0 in the other Group B game, “From now on every game is at the empty Mane Garrincha ing back to another 1-0 Peru surprisingly pegged back for minutes. they joined Brazil, Colombia a final,” said Paqueta, “and we’ll stadium in Brasilia. victory at the Copa America the first 15 minutes of the sec- It was not until Casemiro re- and Ecuador in the quarter-fi- need to give it our all in order Venezuela could count in 2015. ond period and substitute Angel placed Douglas Luiz after just nals as Venezuela exited. to win”. Sri Lanka suspends three players Hazard stunner enough for Belgium to over Covid bubble breach AFP | Colombo joining the pair, violating the oust Portugal and Ronaldo from Euro 2020 coronavirus rules of their stay AFP | London ri Lanka suspended three in England, where they are not Splayers yesterday, includ- allowed to roam freely. rocket from Thorgan ing vice-captain Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka Cricket said the Hazard knocked reign- and withdrew them from the three players were suspended A ing champions Portugal upcoming one-day interna- from all forms of the game un- out of Euro 2020 on Sunday and tional tournament in England til an inquiry was completed. earned Belgium a blockbuster KNOW WHAT over a breach of their bio-se- “This decision was taken quarter-final with Italy. cure Covid bubble. following a preliminary in- Hazard’s swerving shot be- Mendis and Niroshan Dick- quiry conducted over a vid- fore half-time sealed a 1-0 win The closest Ronaldo wella were seen smoking in eo posted on social media in for Belgium and settled a scrap- the streets of Durham, where which the said three players py contest in Seville that never came to an all-time they are based ahead of this can be seen outside their really lived up to its billing as record 110th interna- week’s first one-day interna- designated hotel,” the board the stand-out tie of the last 16. tional goal was a dip- tional at Chester-le-Street on said. But it could prove a statement ping free-kick from 30 Tuesday. A cricket board source told victory for Belgium, whose chief yards which Courtois In a second video on so - AFP that none of the players concern now will be the fitness parried away while at cial media, opening batsman were supposed to go out of of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden the other end, Lukaku Danushka Gunathilaka is seen their hotel unescorted. Hazard, who both hobbled off injured and was to undergo Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal competes for a header with Thorgan Hazard of was a more dynamic scans yesterday. Belgium force De Bruyne suffered an an - who proved decisive, the Borus- kle injury while coach Roberto sia Dortmund winger who Eden Santos. Martinez said Hazard’s problem once said had even more talent Eden Hazard started in Bel- was “more of a muscle feeling”. In these games if you than him. gium’s front three again after Cristiano Ronaldo tested Thi- have a chance you have “In these games if you have a playing 90 minutes against Fin- baut Courtois with a dipping to have a go. It went in, chance you have to have a go,” land on Monday. Portugal’s Di- free-kick in the first half but the with a bit of luck and it Thorgan said. “It went in, with ogo Dalot came in at right-back 36-year-old neither broke the a bit of luck and it was the goal for the injured Nelson Semedo. international goals record nor was the goal that got us that got us through. It’s a dream Eden Hazard skied an early added to his five for the tour- through. It’s a dream for me.” shot over after a neat exchange nament. for me Portugal, meanwhile, stuck with Romelu Lukaku while Dio- Raphael Guerreiro went clos- THORGAN HAZARD to the defensive approach that go Jota skewed wide, slipped in est to a late equaliser when his served them so well in France down the left by the impressive shot came back off the post, one first half and in the second half five years ago but has perhaps Renato Sanches. of 29 shots Portugal had, six of we showed an aspect that wasn’t been outgrown by a side that Ronaldo cut an isolated fig- them on target. there two or three years ago,” now boasts some of the most ure up front, his every touch But before the late rally, Bel- said Martinez. “This is what a creative technicians in the booed early on by the Belgian gium were the braver, more flu- winning team needs.” world. fans, who then cheered when id team and Martinez hailed his For all the superstar names on “I think it’s an unfair result he was robbed of the ball before side’s fighting spirit to hold on. the pitch, it was Eden Hazard’s but they scored and we didn’t,” being bumped to the ground by “We showed our talent in the less heralded brother Thorgan said Portugal coach Fernando Thomas Meunier..