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sports Diaranson 7 Juli 2021

Italy beats Spain on penalties, reaches Euro 2020 final

(AP) — Jorginho convert-
ed the decisive penalty
kick Tuesday to give Italy
a 4-2 shootout win over
Spain and a spot in the
European Championship
final.

The midfielder took a trade-
mark hop at the end of his
run-up before rolling the ball
into the bottom corner.

The match had finished 1-1
through extra time. Federico
Chiesa scored for Italy with a
curling shot in the 60th min-
ute but Alvaro Morata equal- Morata missed the next-to- ing Jorginho the chance to Italy will be back at Wembley day against either England or
ized for Spain in the 80th. last kick in the shootout, giv- win it. Stadium for the final on Sun- Denmark.

Brazil fans not really in mood for Copa America semifinals

(AP) — Soccer fans at the fancy the fact that the most popular broad- doesn’t mean they are willing to pulled as organizers. No fans are al-
Piraquê club in Rio de Janeiro caster is not showing the Copa Amer- spend time out of their homes watch- lowed in stadia despite the insistence
can’t wait to once again gather ica have cut down the fans’ interest. ing the Copa. of President Jair Bolsonaro, a critic
at the bar beside a swimming of lockdown measures. It will be the
pool to watch great players fight “The Copa America is never much On the streets around Nilton Santos same at Saturday’s final at Maracana
for a major tournament trophy fun, but this time even less,” Thom- Stadium, one could hardly tell when Stadium.
in crowded stadiums while they as Castro said as he planned to meet it has hosted seven Copa matches. Many restrictions on movement are
calmly sip on caipirinhas. friends for Tuesday’s Euro 2020 The few street carts selling food at- still in place in Rio and in the three
clash. “My mom would never know tract only journalists, staffers, and other host cities, Brasilia, Goiania
Though the Copa America is tak- the Copa is on if I didn’t tell. I watch some locals who are playing around and Cuiabá. But the biggest hurdle
ing place in their city, they are actu- Brazil at home, but there’s no atmo- by the gates of the empty stadium. for the Copa America in Brazil has
ally looking forward to Italy vs. Spain sphere like you see in Europe with been the fans. Unable to go to games,
playing on Tuesday to reach the final fans and all.” “I’ve made a few bucks, which always they haven’t been much interested in
of the European Championship. happens during the pandemic,” said watching them on TV, either.
No tourists arriving in Rio would Celso David, running a hamburg-
Brazil and Peru were also meeting in notice there’s a major soccer tourna- er stall outside the stadium. “This “Is it still on?” housewife Maria Cris-
a semifinal on Monday but Brazilian ment taking place in the city. There it isn’t much different from other tina Teli asked. “I watch the Brazil-
fans have been far more disinterested are no banners, no ads, and no antici- events we’ve done recently. When ian championship sometimes, but
in the tournament than usual. That pation evident, unlike two years ago Brazil hosted the Copa in 2019 it was this Copa America ... I didn’t see any
didn’t change much after the Copa when Brazil also hosted after years of a little better, more people coming matches this time. Is Brazil playing
America hosts advanced to Saturday’s planning and buildup. from other countries and Brazilian Argentina sometime?”
decider after a 1-0 win over Peru. tourists.”
Many cariocas, as locals are known, Brazil’s dominant TV Globo is broad-
The pandemic, the last-minute host- are not strictly following social dis- Brazil agreed to be an emergency host casting some Euro 2020 matches in-
ing, some unimpressive matches, and tancing recommendations, but that after Argentina and Colombia were stead of the Copa America, which is
shown on the country’s third most
popular open channel, SBT, and on
ESPN Brasil on cable. SBT soccer
ratings are usually one third of Glo-
bo’s, which has also proven consis-
tent this time.

Bars in Rio’s tourist areas are show-
ing Copa America matches, and have
been allowed by health authorities
since May to stay open late with ta-
bles two meters apart.

But, so far, no games have created
enough interest to draw large gath-
erings. The bars that do look over-
crowded in Rio, especially in the
posh Leblon neighborhood, don’t
have TVs and are filled with flirting,
anxious youngsters.

Organizers hope some of that gloom
will change if the final features Ney-
mar’s Brazil against Lionel Messi’s
Argentina. But even that could be a
struggle.

“Yes, if we play Argentina I will
definitely see,” housewife Teli said.
“Which channel will it be on?