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BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - A Copa America riddled with surprises bowed to logic when Uruguay confirmed their standing as South America's top team by reaching Sunday's final.
Uruguay, fourth at the 2010 World Cup, beat Peru 2-0 in their semi-final in La Plata on Tuesday with two goals from red-hot striker Luis Suarez.
Diego Forlan, the World Cup's best player, has not been so hot in this tournament and has yet to score but his surprise shot from outside the box brought a rebound from the goalkeeper and Suarez nipped in to put the Uruguayans ahead eight minutes into the second half.
"(Suarez) is a great striker, in the elite of forwards in world football... For us to have such forwards brought us good results in the World Cup and today (Tuesday) too," said Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez.
"He's important which is why he was substituted. He had a yellow card and it's one thing with Suarez and another without Suarez in the final," he told reporters. Suarez scored twice in three minutes and was substituted in the 70th minute.
Peru, like Wednesday night's semi-final rivals Paraguay and Venezuela who clash in Mendoza (0045 GMT), have earned the bonus of extra competitive matches to prepare for the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
All the coaches at the tournament without exception have set the qualifiers as their chief goal, especially from countries like Peru who did not qualify for last year's World Cup in South Africa.
TARGET 2014
With Brazil hosting the 2014 finals, there are four and a half places (four automatic and a playoff against a Concacaf team to decide the other) up for grabs for nine nations in the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).
Argentina have not missed out on a World Cup since 1970 and, despite a disappointing Copa America as hosts, can be expected to finish among the qualifiers at the end of the marathon 16-match campaign.
Uruguay, having built a solid national teams structure in recent years, are looking to secure regular World Cup participation having often failed as a result of trying to live on the glory of the first half of the last century.
"We Uruguayans no longer think that to come second is a disaster, we know we can win and we can lose... We're going to try to win (the trophy)," coach Oscar Tabarez told reporters as his team go for a record 15th Copa America title.
Brazil, who won the Copa America four times out of the last five, were among the bigger losers in Argentina if only because with their quarter-final elimination they lost out of two more competitive matches when these will be in short supply for the World Cup hosts.
The only other competition they can look forward to ahead of 2014 is the Confederations Cup in Brazil in 2013.
(Editing by Justin Palmer; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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Uruguay, fourth at the 2010 World Cup, beat Peru 2-0 in their semi-final in La Plata on Tuesday with two goals from red-hot striker Luis Suarez.
Diego Forlan, the World Cup's best player, has not been so hot in this tournament and has yet to score but his surprise shot from outside the box brought a rebound from the goalkeeper and Suarez nipped in to put the Uruguayans ahead eight minutes into the second half.
"(Suarez) is a great striker, in the elite of forwards in world football... For us to have such forwards brought us good results in the World Cup and today (Tuesday) too," said Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez.
"He's important which is why he was substituted. He had a yellow card and it's one thing with Suarez and another without Suarez in the final," he told reporters. Suarez scored twice in three minutes and was substituted in the 70th minute.
Peru, like Wednesday night's semi-final rivals Paraguay and Venezuela who clash in Mendoza (0045 GMT), have earned the bonus of extra competitive matches to prepare for the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
All the coaches at the tournament without exception have set the qualifiers as their chief goal, especially from countries like Peru who did not qualify for last year's World Cup in South Africa.
TARGET 2014
With Brazil hosting the 2014 finals, there are four and a half places (four automatic and a playoff against a Concacaf team to decide the other) up for grabs for nine nations in the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).
Argentina have not missed out on a World Cup since 1970 and, despite a disappointing Copa America as hosts, can be expected to finish among the qualifiers at the end of the marathon 16-match campaign.
Uruguay, having built a solid national teams structure in recent years, are looking to secure regular World Cup participation having often failed as a result of trying to live on the glory of the first half of the last century.
"We Uruguayans no longer think that to come second is a disaster, we know we can win and we can lose... We're going to try to win (the trophy)," coach Oscar Tabarez told reporters as his team go for a record 15th Copa America title.
Brazil, who won the Copa America four times out of the last five, were among the bigger losers in Argentina if only because with their quarter-final elimination they lost out of two more competitive matches when these will be in short supply for the World Cup hosts.
The only other competition they can look forward to ahead of 2014 is the Confederations Cup in Brazil in 2013.
(Editing by Justin Palmer; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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