Luis Suárez fumes as Venezuela dump Uruguay out of Copa América- Rondon’s 36th-minute winner lifts Venezuela to quarter-finals
- Venezuela defeat 15-times champions for first time since 2006
- 2010 World Cup semi-finalists stunned by world No77 ranked side
- Luis Suárez loses temper after being told he would not play in match
A goal by Salomon Rondon gave Venezuela an upset 1-0 win over Uruguay in Philadelphia on Thursday that put them through to the Copa América Centenario quarter-finals with the record 15-times champions dumped out in the group stages, as their star striker was involved in yet another fit of pique. When midfielder Alejandro Guerra lobbed Fernando Muslera from more than 30 yards, the Uruguay goalkeeper chased back but only managed to tip the ball onto the bar and striker Rondon raced in to tap it into the net in the 36th minute.
Luis Suárez, who had missed the first game through injury, lost his temper and threw one of his boots on to the pitch after he was told he would not play a part in the game. Suárez had been seen warming up on the sidelines in the second-half despite not being named as a substitute or in the starting eleven. “There is no situation. The situation is what I told you [on Wednesday]. The player is not ready to play,” said the Uruguay coach, Oscar Tabarez. “This is an issue about numbers and doctors. Even if the player is upset, I’m not going to play a player who is not 100%. If he got upset, that is something I was not aware of. He didn’t tell me anything.”
Suárez was involved in another fit of temper at the 2014 World Cup, when he bit the Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. The striker was banned from football for four months over the incident.
Venezuela, who beat Jamaica 1-0 in their opening Group C match, now have six points, the same total as Mexico, who beat Uruguay 3-1 on Sunday and Jamaica on Thursday in Pasadena. Both sides have now qualified for the last eight but will play on Monday to see who advances as group winners.
For Venezuela, it was a first win in nine Copa América meetings with Uruguay while Rondon became the first player from the country to score at three tournaments.
For Uruguay, defender Maxi Pereira won a record 113th cap, surpassing former striker Diego Forlan, at his fourth tournament. But there was little else to celebrate for one of the pre-tournament favourites against a side ranked No77 in the world who are currently bottom of South American qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
The Venezuelans overcame an early hiccup when right back Roberto Rosales was injured after seven minutes and had to be replaced by Alexander Gonzalez.
Uruguay, still without the injured Suárez, made four changes from the team beaten by Mexico and had marginally the better of the opening half hour with midfielder Gaston Ramirez hitting the post.
But Rondon’s goal turned the tide and Muslera had to save sharply from Guerra in the 43rd minute.
The Uruguayans, who won their 15th title in Argentina in 2011, pushed Venezuela back in the second half but lacked finishing and Muslera again prevented them going further behind with a fine save from Adalberto Penaranda in the 68th. Edinson Cavani came close to equalizing in the dying minutes but was wide with one chance and had another saved by Dani Hernandez.
Venezuela, no longer the whipping boys of South American soccer, first reached the quarter-finals when they hosted the tournament in 2007 and got their best result four years later when they reached the last four.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/jun/09/venezuela-uruguay-copa-america-quarter-finals [ 此帖被羅力亞在2016-06-10 14:18重新編輯 ]
