Dein erstes Forum » Peru finished third after being hammered

BELO HORIZONTE www.thetopsoccer.com/italy , Brazil (AP) — A brace by Darwin Machis and a goal by Josef Martinez helped Venezuela beat Bolivia 3-1 and advance to the Copa America quarterfinals on Saturday.Venezuela, which has never won the Copa America or qualified for a World Cup, finished Group A second to Brazil.Peru finished third after being hammered 5-0 by the Copa America host and will have to wait for other results to know if it advances as one of the best third-placed teams.Venezuela’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be the second-placed team in Group B, either Paraguay, Qatar or Argentina.After two goalless draws with Peru and Brazil, Venezuela knew it had to bring its most attacking formation against Bolivia at Mineirao Stadium to advance. The team also had to work without its two central defenders, Yordan Osorio and Mikel Villanueva, one affected by injury and the other by a fever. Jhon Chancellor and Luis Mago stepped up.Venezuela coach Rafael Dudamel said the team showed solidity by imposing its game against Bolivia.“We had to work more in our defense than expected; it was a team that was hurt. And they did very well,” Dudamel said. “We controlled (the match) tactically and we responded to match situations; that gives us the tranquility of knowing that we have a team and that everyone knows they are important.”Venezuela scored after only two minutes, when Machis headed a cross from Ronald Hernandez from the right. Only 4 Cheap Japan Soccer Jerseys ,640 people were at Mineirao Stadium to watch that moment.The Vinotinto added a second in the 55th, Machis scoring from the edge of the box.Leonel Justiniano reduced Bolivia’s deficit in the 82nd, but Josef Martinez, who substituted Machis shortly before, secured the Venezuelan victory four minutes later with a header after a cross by Yeferson Soteldo.Bolivia coach Eduardo Villegas was philosophical about his team’s performance in its third loss at Copa America.“We learned a lot. We came with a group of players of intermediary age and young men that earned some experience, saw what it is like to be in an international competition,” he said.Dudamel said the quarterfinals clash, no matter against whom, will inspire an even better Venezuela.“We have shown ourselves as a more complete team each day, in every aspect Cheap Mexico Soccer Shirts ,” he said. “We have to keep this sequence; we will not do anything differently.”Venezuela’s next match will be on Friday at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Valencia and Athletic Bilbao kept up their strong run of form on Sunday in the chase for the final Champions League spot in Spain.With six rounds remaining, Sevilla is fourth in the league, which is the last berth for Europe’s top club competition.Getafe is one point behind Sevilla after it salvaged a 2-2 draw at Valladolid despite playing with 10 men.Valencia is sixth, three points behind Sevilla, after beating Levante 3-1 at its Mestalla Stadium, while seventh-placed Bilbao is six points adrift of Sevilla following its 3-2 victory at home over Rayo Vallecano.“We knew that this was a fundamental match for us to keep fighting for our objective of the Champions League,” Santi Mina said after scoring his brace to lead Valencia to the derby win.Valencia has lost just once in 14 rounds, reached the final of the Copa del Rey against Barcelona, and is in the Europa League quarterfinals. Bilbao Cheap Nigeria Soccer Jerseys , for its part, has only lost three times in 18 rounds since coach Gaizka Garitano took over in December.“To be honest, I don’t keep track of the point differences to other teams,” Garitano said. “(But) I do know that we are going to win more games.”VALENCIA VICTORYAfter Mina headed in a cross by Goncalo Guedes to open the scoring, Carlos Soler cleared a corner kick into his own net to unwittingly gift Levante the equalizer in the 56th.But Soler responded by setting up Guedes to restore the lead a minute later. Soler then played a part in Mina’s second goal in the 63rd, when his shot hit the post and fell to Mina to push home.Valencia’s Cristiano Piccini was carried off on a stretcher in the first half and taken to the local hospital to be treated for a hard knock to his torso.WILLIAMS’ BRACEInaki Williams scored two goals to fuel Bilbao’s win over 10-man Rayo, which lost Luis Advincula to a second yellow card in the 51st.But the hosts needed Raul Garcia to ensure the victory with a goal before Raul de Tomas scored Rayo’s second goal with five minutes to play.RESCUED POINTJorge Molina converted a penalty on the last kick of the match to snatch the draw for Getafe at Valladolid.Molina converted the spot kick following a foul by Oscar Plano on Getafe’s Hugo Duro in the area.Getafe’s Mathias Olivera was sent off for a second booking in the 63rd.Getafe also lost left back Vitorio Antunes when his right leg buckled under him, requiring him to be carried off on a stretcher in the first half. Coach Jose Bordalas said the injury looked “serious.”OTHER MATCHESJoan Jordan dipped a free kick over the wall and into the corner of the net in the 85th to earn Eibar a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad.Villarreal escaped from the relegation zone after Samuel Chukwueze struck on a breakaway early in its 1-0 win at Girona.