Uruguay beat Peru after controversial goal
Reuters - Monday 11 June 2012, 01:18
Uruguay shrugged off the controversy
surrounding their opening goal to seal a thrilling 4-2 win over
Peru in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday while Ecuador
enjoyed a 1-0 win over Colombia.
The win lifted Copa America holders Uruguay into second
place in the South American group, a point behind leaders Chile
and one ahead of Argentina, while Ecuador's win in Quito saw
them climb to fourth.
Uruguay took the lead after 15 minutes in controversial
fashion, centre-back Sebastian Coates' goal-bound header looked
to be touched on by striker Luis Suarez and Peru's Antonio
Gonzales tried to block the ball on the line.
Peru coach Sergio Markarian said he had been told the ball
had not crossed the line, and that there was also a hint of
offside about Uruguay's second.
"I got [telephone] calls that tell me the ball didn't go in
for the first goal," Markarian told a news conference. "They
tell me that for the second goal there is offside," he added
referring to Maxi Pereira's strike on the half hour that put the
home side two up.
Peru got back on level terms with an own goal from Uruguay
defender Diego Godin and a volley from striker Paolo Guerrero
either side of the interval.
Diego Forlan had a penalty saved by Peru's Diego Penny, but
the Uruguayans romped home with goals from substitutes Cristian
Rodriguez and Sebastian Eguren to complete their third four-goal
haul in five matches.
Markarian would not judge Brazilian referee Leandro Vuaden's
performance but said the loss was hard to swallow.
"I'm not going to make a value judgment over the refereeing
nor do I want to stain Uruguay's victory, which was fair without
doubt, but I'm left with a sour taste, a hard defeat," he said.
REGIONAL PARITY
Uruguay coach Oscar Washington Tabarez was full of praise
for the performance of injury-hit Peru, whose hopes of reaching
their first World Cup finals since 1982 dimmed as they prop up
the table with three points.
"Peru showed they're a team who are alive. They went out to
fight for a win, creating problems with a high degree of
efficiency, scoring twice and they had two or three more
chances," he said.
"We're very satisfied to have managed this triumph which was
so difficult and I think it shows clearly how much parity there
is in South American football.
"No match is won or decided beforehand."
Tabarez's comments could also have described the tight match
in Quito nearly 3,000 metres above sea level where Ecuador once
again made their advantage in the rarefied air pay off with
their third victory in five qualifiers.
Striker Cristian Benitez headed the only goal nine minutes
after halftime leaving Colombia coach Jose Pekerman with plenty
of work to do to lift his team from sixth place in the next two
rounds in September.
Ecuador defender Cristian Noboa was sent off in the 86th
minute after receiving a second booking.
"It was a tight match, we need to be more competitive. I
think there are still chances to keep looking for a place at the
World Cup," Pekerman told reporters.