Crushed Chile! - Peru stun holders 3-0 to reach 1st Copa America final since 1975
Peru pulled off a surprise rout of Copa America holders Chile 3-0 to set up a final clash with Brazil and book their first final place in South America's biggest competition since 1975.
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Goals from Edison Flores and Yoshimar Yotún in the first half saw Peru on their way before the match was sewn up in seconds half stoppage time by captain Paolo Guerrero to stun current champions Chile, who have won the last two tournaments.
Peru will now contest their first Copa America final in 44 years against this year's hosts - who beat La Blanquirroja 5-0 earlier in the tournament - at Maracana on Sunday.
Flores opened the scoring on 21 minutes at Arena do Grêmio in Porto Alegre with a left-footed volley at the far post, wheeling away and cupping his hand to his ear.
Yotún then doubled the Peruvian lead 17 minutes later after a mistake from Chile goalkeeper Gabriel Arias, who rushed off his line to stop a cross from Andre Carrillo, who rounded the stopper and squared to Yotún on the edge of the area to chest and volley into an empty net.
Oh dear Arias.It would be bad enough for the greatest era in Chile's football history to end against Peru, but to end like this...#chiperpic.twitter.com/Jb1oakhJbj
— Sam Street (@samstreetwrites) July 4, 2019
I'm not really sure what Gabriel Arias was thinking, but that is just terrible goalkeeping... 2-0 Peru, Chile must step up! #CopaAmerica#CHIPERpic.twitter.com/l8srirTFfD
— #VALVERDEOUT (@MathiasAw1) July 4, 2019
Chants of "olé" from the Peru🇵🇪 fans. They just saw their team advance to a Copa América🏆 final for the first time since 1975!!⚽️Flores 21'⚽️Yotún 38'⚽️Guerrero 91'#VamosPeru🇵🇪Chile🇨🇱 0⃣Peru 🇵🇪 3⃣#CopaAmerica#CHIvsPERpic.twitter.com/CbrHhFsrkb
— Alt_Media (@AltMedia4) July 4, 2019
A third was added in the 91st minute by Guerrero, who rounded Arias and send Peru into the final for the first time in nearly four and a half decades in Rio De Janeiro.
“I think we all played well, we all made sacrifices,” captain Guerrero said. “We were very intense and we deserve to be in the final. Now we need to rest and think of Brazil. It’ll be a very hard final.”
