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The first day of the Copa America was full of surprises. Although
it was credited as the theoretical favourite against Bolivia
in San Cristobal, Venezuela obtained only a draw.
Striker Giancarlo Maldonado put Venezuela ahead in the 20th minute
with a left-foot shot to the far post. However, Jaime Moreno equalized for Bolivia in the
38th minute, but
Ricardo Paez made it 2-1 in the 55th minute with a classy
chip over the Bolivian goalkeeper after a defensive mistake.
In the end, Bolivia
obtained a deserved point with a goal seven minutes from the end of the game
for the draw.
In the other match, Peru
obtained a 3-0 victory over Uruguay,
with all three goals scored in the second half.
US will play its first game on Thursday, against Argentina,
considered the favourite. The US
team is coming in Venezuela
after winning CONCACAF Gold Cup title on Sunday.
"Copa America
is going to be a great opportunity for our younger players to gain invaluable
experience at the highest international level," said the US coach Bob Bradley.
"Playing two major tournaments back-to-back is both a
privilege and a difficult challenge in terms of putting together rosters, and
this is something we've known all along. This group has many of the faces that
could play a role in 2008 and 2009 when our focus turns to our ultimate goal of
qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa."
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