Brazil savour shoot-out success
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Article summary
FC Internazionale forward Adriano shone as Brazil beat Argentina on penalties in the Copa América final.
Article body
Straight to penalties
Argentina appeared to have won the tournament when substitute César Delgado put them 2-1 ahead in the 87th minute, but FC Internazionale forward Adriano levelled with the last kick of the game - and his seventh goal of the competition - to send the game straight to penalties, as extra time is not played at the Copa América.
Players rested
Andrés D'Alessandro and Gabriel Heinze, recently signed by Manchester United FC, missed Argentina's first two penalties in the shoot-out as Brazil, who had rested their top players for the tournament, celebrated an unlikely triumph, converting all four of their efforts.
Luisão leveller
Brazil had also drawn level at 1-1 with the last kick of the first half when central defender Luisão glanced in Alex's free-kick. Luisão had earlier given away the penalty from which Kily González opened the scoring in the 20th minute for Argentina.
'Inexplicable emotion'
"I'm very happy," said Adriano. "I want to thank God, my family and my team mates. It's an inexplicable emotion." The former Parma AC player also scored a hat-trick against Costa Rica, two more against Mexico and a crucial goal against Uruguay.
