Mexico brushes aside Chile

ARMENIA (COLOMBIA), JULY 23. Manchester city striker Paulo Wanchope laid claim to the Copa America goalscorer's crown with his fifth goal of the tournament on Sunday but his total will stick there after Costa Rica slid out following a 2-1 quarterfinal loss to Uruguay.

The Uruguayans, who had drawn with their opponents in the group phase, recovered from Wanchope's 51st-minute opener to come through with a Rodrigo Lemos penalty on the hour and a winner three minutes from time by Pablo Lima to book a semifinal against revitalised Mexico, 2-0 winner over Chile.

The Costa Ricans, despite playing in the continental showpiece for only the second time, went into the match as slight favourites following their superb group showing where they beat Honduras and Bolivia before holding Uruguay, 14 times Copa champion, which could only scrape through into the last eight as one of the best third-placed teams.

But the South Americans, who won their last Copa on home round in 1995 and who lost the 1999 final to Brazil, finally come good in windy and rainy conditions at the Centenario stadium in Armenia.

Wanchope broke the deadlock with a typically opportunist effort after Colombian referee Oscar Ruiz failed to spot an apparent foul on defender Alejandro Curbelo.

But Ruiz didn't miss anything in awarding the Uruguayans spotkick on 61 minutes which Lemos duly buried past keeper Erick Lonnis following a foul on Carlos Maria Morales.

Lima snatched the win with a snapshot which Lonnis got a hand to but couldn't hold.

Uruguay coach Victor Pua said his men were going for solid rather than spectacular progress in looking to better their 1999 final showing which saw them lose 3-0 to Brazil. ``This (strategy) is bearing fruit and did us well in the last edition of the Copa,'' Pua told reporters.

Despite the defeat the Costa Ricans can return home to San Jose with their heads held high after a markedly-improved showing on their 1997 debut in Bolivia, when they went straight out after a 5-0 hammering by Brazil, a 4-1 beating at the hands of Colombia and a 1-1 draw with Mexico.

The little central American state only came into the tournament, as did Honduras - which meets Brazil on Monday - following the withdrawals of Argentina and Canada in the wake of security worries engendered by political violence which marred the event's preparation and almost forced its cancellation.

Mexicans impressive

The Mexicans, meanwhile, booked their place in the last four for the third time in a row with an impressive 2-0 win over Chile.

Jesus Arellano netted the opener in 18th minute ending a fine run with a left-foot shot under Chilean keeper, nationalised Argentine Sergio Vargas.

Daniel Ozorno closed the gate with the second ten minutes from time at the Hernan Ramirez Villegas stadium to send Javier Aguirre's men through to tackle the Uruguayans.

Ozorno made a swift impression as he scored just nine minutes after coming on as a substitute for Antonio de Nigris, smacking home a left-foot effort from the edge of the box.

The Mexicans are playing in the event for only the fifth time and made the perfect start to the group phase by beating favourite Brazil.

But the ``Aztecs'' then faltered as a draw against Paraguay and a 1-0 defeat to Peru meant they just scraped through into the last eight with just one goal scored in their three games.

Aguirre lambasted the Peru game as the worst the team had played under him and demanded a mighty improvement, which he duly got.

Mexico only made its debut in 1993 in Ecuador, reaching the final but losing to Argentina.

Aguirre was taking nothing for granted ahead of the next obstacle. ``We may be in the semifinals - but we haven't won anything yet,'' said Aguirre, who confessed to being far more ``obsessed'' with his squad's upcoming World Cup qualifier with Jamaica.

In the World Cup qualifier Mexico has had a dismal run and is way behind group pacesetters Costa Rica and the United States and the Copa is but a distraction.

- AFP

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