Shootout gives Brazil a ticket to the final

Uruguay captain Diego Lugano is used to being in the middle of a celebration by Brazilians on a football pitch. After all, he became famous in Brazil after being part of a good Sao Paulo team that won important titles like the 2005 Libertadores and Intercontinental Cups. On Tuesday, he was once again in the middle of a Brazilian football celebration. Only this time it was for all the wrong reasons.

With Brazil leading 5-4 on a penalty shootout to decide the qualification to the 2007 Copa America final, Lugano could not put the ball into the net to give his team another chance of winning the game. Instead, he shot the ball right into the hands of Brazilian keeper Doni, who incidentally had taken three or four steps in the direction of the Uruguayan player before the ball was even touched. Colombian referee Oscar Ruiz validated the save nevertheless, and Brazil defeated Uruguay on a penalty shootout of a Copa America semifinal for the second straight time.

It wasn't supposed to have taken this long for the Brazilians to consolidate the win. Early in the game, the team coached by Dunga managed to create a few good chances and seemed in complete control after Maicon scored an early goal in the 13th minute. Three minutes later, however, all the lights in one of the illumination towers of the Maracaibo Stadium went out, and the match had to be interrupted for nearly 15 minutes. When the game resumed - without all the lights having being turned back on - the intensity of play had definitely cooled off.

It wasn't until the end of the first half, when Uruguay created a few good chances, that the level of play improved. Finally, after a series of frustrating corner kicks taken by veteran Alvaro Recoba, goalkeeper Doni failed to clear a cross and accidentally gave the ball away to forward Forlan, who quickly put the ball into the net to tie the game. Brazil managed to come back and finish the second half ahead though, when Julio Baptista took advantage of a free kick from the right wing to deflect the ball into the net, past goalkeeper Carini.

In the second half, both teams were cautious and did not give up many spaces back on defence. In one of the few chances created by Uruguay, however, Forlan crossed the ball to 'El Loco' Abreu from the left wing, and the forward hit it past Doni to tie the game. Brazil still tried to adopt a more offensive approach inserting Diego and Fernando in place of Julio Baptista and Josue, but to no avail. Afonso replaced Vagner Love and couldn't do much - except missing a penalty kick during the shootout.

With the 2-2 draw after 90 minutes of regulation, both teams took the pitch to decide the game on the shootout. Brazil had the early lead when Forlan missed the first kick for Uruguay, but as Fernando and Afonso hit the post in Brazil's third and fifth tries, Uruguay could have advanced if only Pablo Garcia had managed to score on the fifth attempt. He didn't, and as Gilberto scored Brazil's fifth goal in the sixth try, Lugano could only hope he'd also score to send the shootout to a seventh round. Instead, he kicked the ball right in the middle of the goal, where Doni was waiting for it.

The Uruguayans still tried to argue that the penalty should be re-taken, since the Brazilian keeper had taken so many steps towards the shooter before the actual kick. A melee almost ensued, but in the end there was nothing to do but watch the Brazilians celebrate. This time, Lugano didn't feel like taking part in the celebrations. All the veteran defender could do was to slowly walk back to the dressing room, looking incredulous as the happy Brazilians sang and danced.