Carlos Tevez converts winning spot kick as 1993 champions
eventually secure last four spot
Argentina booked their place in the semi-finals of the Copa
América with a dramatic 5-4 penalty shoot-out success over Colombia in Viña del
Mar.
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Carlos Tevez was the hero as he converted the winning kick
in sudden death, the striker finally sending la Albiceleste through after they
had twice missed opportunities to finish off their opponents from the spot.Both
Lucas Biglia and Marcos Rojo had failed to convert attempts with the game up
for grabs, though Tevez - on the same day he announced his return to Boca
Juniors - made it third time lucky.
Luis Muriel missed in regulation for Colombia, while Juan
Camilo Zúñiga and Jeison Murillo were unable to find the net when the shoot-out
went to extra kicks.
Los Cafeteros' had hung on during the 90 minutes to force
penalties, their goal leading a charmed life throughout a tight and, at times,
fiesty 0-0 draw.
David Ospina pulled off stunning double save to deny firstly
Sergio Agüero and then, even more impressively, Lionel Messi, who must have
wondered quite how his header from close range was kept out.
The Colombia goalkeeper also tipped a Nicolás Otamendi
header onto a post after the break, then watched on as Zúñiga calmly hacked the
loose ball off the line.
Murillo was also forced to clear a goal-bound effort,
sparing the blushes of his team-mate Cristián Zapata in the process, as
Argentina were unable to make the breakthrough despite their dominance.
However, they made amends for their defeat on penalties to
Uruguay at the same stage of the competition four years ago, keeping alive
their hopes of lifting the trophy for the first time since 1993.
Next up could be a last-four clash against Brazil, who face
Paraguay in the last remaining quarter-final on Saturday night.
Colombia are instead heading home. Their coach, José
Pékerman, made four changes to the team that drew 0-0 with Peru in their final
group encounter, with his decision to drop misfiring striker Radamel Falcao the
standout.
Yet the alterations still didn’t help them as an attacking
force, as they failed to add to their measly tournament tally of one goal.
They finished the first 45 minutes without mustering a shot
on goal and forced Romero into just one save throughout the entire match.
At the other end, Ospina was much busier.
He was sharply off his line just before the interval to deny
Javier Pastore, while he had to beat Ángel Di María to the ball outside his box
early in the second half.
Argentina hit the woodwork twice late in the game, with
substitute Ever Banega clipping the crossbar before Ospina produced another
stunning stop, palming Otamendi's effort onto the upright.
It seemed Gerardo Martino's side might pay a dear price for
their profligacy, particularly during the shoot-out, before Tevez finally fired
them through to the next round.
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