Peru got past two-time defending champions Chile in a stunning upset preventing Chile’s golden generation from challenging for a third title, following their wins in 2015 and 2016. Peru, on the other hand, enters the Copa America finals for the first time in 44 years.
Two weeks after a demoralizing 5-0 loss to Brazil which left the team on the verge of first-round elimination, goals from Edison Flores, Yoshimar Yotun and Paolo Guerrero handed Peru a deserved win which drives them to the final against Brazil at the Maracana Stadium on Sunday.
Peru coach Ricardo Gareca said after the win, “We are a team that knows how to overcome adversities. That’s something very unique to our team. That loss against Brazil would hurt any team, but we were able to recover from it. We deserve a lot of credit for it.”
Chile was on the way to write a history of becoming the first time to hold three straight Copa America titles since Argentina in the 1940s but their dreams were shattered by Peru and now will play the third-place match against the Argentines on Saturday in a repeat of last two finals.
