Football

Argentina and Brazil, the South American powerhouses, faced contrasting fortunes in their World Cup qualifying matches on Tuesday. Argentina secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Peru, while Brazil was held to a 1-1 draw by Uruguay.Argentina's triumph was courtesy of a stunning volley from Lautaro Martinez in the first half. Lionel Messi provided the assist with a pinpoint cross, and Martinez unleashed a thunderous left-footed shot past Peru's goalkeeper. Despite a lackluster performance, Argentina's victory solidifies their position at the top of the CONMEBOL standings.Brazil, on the other hand, struggled against Uruguay in Salvador. Federico Valverde gave Uruguay the lead in the 55th minute with a clinical finish. However, Brazil responded quickly, with Gerson equalizing seven minutes later with a well-taken volley. Despite Brazil's dominance, they were unable to find a winning goal, leaving them in fifth place in the standings.Colombia suffered an upset at home, losing 1-0 to Ecuador. Enner Valencia scored the only goal of the match in the seventh minute, stunning the Colombian crowd. Colombia's Jhon Cordoba missed a golden opportunity to equalize, and Ecuador held on to their lead despite being reduced to 10 men after Piero Hincapie was sent off in the 34th minute.Paraguay and Bolivia played out a thrilling 2-2 draw. Bolivia took the lead twice, but Paraguay fought back each time. Miguel Almiron equalized for Paraguay in the 71st minute, and Julio Enciso secured a point in stoppage time with a magnificent solo effort.Chile boosted their faint hopes of qualifying for the World Cup with a 4-2 victory over Venezuela. The win leaves Chile in ninth place, but they have a lot of work to do to secure one of the six automatic qualification spots.

Argentina's Copa America campaign got off to a flying start as they cruised to a 2-0 victory over Peru in Miami on June 29. Despite the absence of talisman Lionel Messi due to a sore hamstring, Argentina showcased their depth and resilience to secure a comfortable win.With coach Lionel Scaloni serving a one-game suspension, Argentina made nine changes to their starting lineup. However, the makeshift team displayed impressive cohesion and control throughout the match. Peru, on the other hand, struggled to create any meaningful chances, managing just one shot on goal.Lautaro Martinez emerged as the hero for Argentina, scoring both goals to seal the victory. His first came just after halftime, when he latched onto a sublime through ball from Angel Di Maria and calmly lifted the ball over Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.Argentina had a chance to double their lead in the 72nd minute when Jesus Castillo handled the ball in the area, conceding a penalty. However, Leandro Paredes' spot-kick crashed against the woodwork, leaving the score at 1-0.Martinez then grabbed his second in the 86th minute, latching on to a long pass forward before finishing past Gallese. Replays indicated Martinez may have shoved defender Aldo Corzo in the build-up, but referee Cesar Ramos waved away Peru's protest and the goal stood."It was tough in the first half because they were defending deep, but the first goal opened up the game," Martinez said afterwards. "There's a lot more to come from us."Argentina's victory ensures their place as Group A winners and a spot in the quarterfinals. They will now face the runner-up from Group B in Houston next Thursday, most likely either Ecuador or Mexico.In Saturday's other Group A game, Canada held 2015 and 2016 Copa America champions Chile to a 0-0 draw in Orlando, which was enough to see the Canadians into the last eight. Chile needed a victory to leapfrog the Canadians into the knockout rounds but were left with a mountain to climb early in the game when Gabriel Suazo was dismissed for a second yellow card after only 27 minutes."It took a lot of hard work -- it's our first time in this competition and it's not easy," Canada captain Alphonso Davies said about his team's advance to the last eight. "There's a lot of good teams in this competition and a lot of good players. But we stuck to our plan and we played well. We showed a lot of fight. We had to show our teeth at times, but overall we did well."Canada will play the winners of Group B in the quarterfinals.

Canada's Copa America campaign received a much-needed boost with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Peru in Kansas City. Jonathan David, the Lille striker linked to Manchester United and Chelsea, proved his worth once again with a clinical finish that secured all three points for Canada.The match, played under scorching afternoon heat, saw temperatures soar to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The intense conditions took their toll on one of the assistant referees, who collapsed with apparent heat exhaustion just before halftime.Canada, who had lost their opening game to Argentina, took the lead in the second half after Peru was reduced to 10 men. Miguel Araujo was sent off for a reckless foul on Jacob Shaffelburg, sparking a melee between players from both teams.Referee Mario Escobar initially showed Araujo a yellow card, but a VAR review led to the decision being upgraded to a red. This dismissal gave Canada a significant advantage, and they began to press forward more aggressively.The breakthrough came in the 74th minute when David capitalized on a sweeping counter-attack. Cyle Larin found Shaffelburg with a pinpoint pass, and the Nashville forward delivered a sensational cross-field pass to David. The Lille striker took one touch and fired a right-footed shot into the bottom corner past Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.Peru pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau made a fine one-handed save to deny Christian Cueva. He also saved Paolo Guerrero's free-kick in injury time.The result leaves Canada second in Group A behind Argentina, who face Chile later on Tuesday.

Claudio Bravo, the oldest player in Copa America history, made four crucial saves to help Chile secure a scoreless draw against Peru in the tournament opener. At 41 years and 69 days, Bravo denied Gianluca Lapadula's first-time shot on a corner kick and Paolo Guerrero's rebound attempt in front of 43,030 fans at AT&T Stadium.Chile's best scoring chance came early in the match when Alexis Sánchez was left unmarked in front of the goal, but his redirection went over the crossbar. The physical battle featured 37 fouls and four yellow cards, reflecting the intensity of the rivalry between the two South American nations.Chile and Peru trail Argentina in Group A. Argentina, which began its Copa America title defense with a 2-0 victory over Canada on Thursday, faces Chile on Tuesday in a rematch of the 2016 Copa America final. Peru plays Canada on Tuesday in Kansas City, Kansas, and closes the first round against Argentina on June 29 in Miami Gardens, Florida.Fourteen U.S. stadiums are hosting the tournament, which runs through July 14 and ends at Miami Gardens, Florida. Six nations from North and Central America and the Caribbean were added to the 10 South American teams, just as in the centennial Copa America in 2016.