Our reports from the Copa America, Gold Cup and Africa Cup of Nations continue.
As usual, our Scout Notes focus on the Premier League players involved for their respective countries.
Copa America
Brazil 2-0 Argentina
Premium FPL forwards Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino (both £9.5m) were on the scoresheet as Brazil edged out their fierce rivals in Wednesday morning’s semi-final.
Firmino, who has started all of Brazil’s matches at this summer’s tournament, was the provider of Selecao’s opening goal, with Jesus sweeping home the Liverpool striker’s low cross on 19 minutes.
Jesus, starting on the right as Firmino spearheaded the Brazilian attack, returned the favour in the second half as he laid the ball on a plate for the Reds’ striker to tap in.
Coach Tite said of Jesus’s display:
Gabriel impresses all the professionals that work with him because he never gives up. People tell him ‘you just have to put up with the pain and run,’ and that’s what I asked him to do.
He has to refine his solutions and he has to evolve because he’s young, but if I ask him to shoot 50 times, he’ll do 51. This capacity of persistence and his quest for something is his trademark.
Firmino, meanwhile, has been directly involved in more goals (five) than any other player at this summer’s Copa America.
Chances were few and far between for the hosts (Brazil had just four shots in total) but Philippe Coutinho ought to have done better when being fed by Jesus early in the second half.
Willian (£7.0m) came on as a half-time substitute on the left flank but picked up a thigh injury in the second half and is reportedly set to miss Sunday’s final.
The problem isn’t thought to be too serious, however.
Fernandinho (£5.5m) and Richarlison (£8.0m) recovered from injury and illness respectively to take their place on the Brazil bench but remained unused substitutes, along with Ederson (£6.0m).
Alisson (£6.0m) is now guaranteed the tournament’s Golden Glove award after keeping his fifth straight clean sheet.
A reassuring presence between the sticks, the Liverpool goalkeeper had only two saves to make but his goal led a charmed life as both Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero (£12.0m) hit the woodwork.
The Manchester City striker made his fourth start of the tournament as the spearhead of the Argentina attack but couldn’t add to his one goal against Qatar, looping a header onto Alisson’s bar and seeing a goalbound shot blocked five minutes later.
Aguero had a shout for a penalty turned away just before Brazil scored their second goal.
Nicolas Otamendi (£5.5m) kept up his 100% appearance record in defence while Juan Foyth (£5.0m) also played the full 90 minutes.
Roberto Pereyra (£6.0m) was again an unused substitute.
Argentina now take on Chile in Saturday’s third-place play-off.
Chile 0-3 Peru
Alexis Sanchez‘s (£7.0m) Copa America hopes came to an end in the early hours of this morning, as Peru inflicted a surprising 3-0 defeat on Chile in Porto Alegre.
Sanchez, deployed on the left flank in this match, has impressed in the tournament but failed to make much of an impact in this semi-final, though did see one shot superbly saved and another blocked.
Chile were not without their chances and dominated possession, missing a penalty in the stoppage time with the game already gone.
Like Aguero and co, Alexis still has to stick around for the third-place play-off on Saturday.
The Mirror report that he will then join up with his United teammates for their tour of Asia.
Gold Cup
Mexico 1-0 Haiti (after extra-time)
Mexico have reached the final of the Gold Cup to set up a much-anticipated meeting with USA in the early hours of Monday morning (UK time).
El Tri have done it the hard way in the knockout stages, though, having to rely on a penalty shootout to see off Costa Rica in the quarter-finals and then being taken to extra-time by Haiti yesterday.
That’s now two successive 120-minute run-outs for Raul Jimenez (£7.5m) in the space of four days and it was the Wolves striker who proved to be Mexico’s match-winner in this semi-final.
Jimenez, who missed from the spot in the quarter-final shootout, converted a 93rd-minute penalty after himself being fouled.
That goal took his tally for the tournament to five.
Jimenez was heavily involved, registering eight shots in all and going close with a chipped effort in extra time.
The mid-price FPL forward would have had an assist, too, had Luis Montes not missed an open goal just before the final whistle.
Jamaica 1-3 USA
Christian Pulisic (£7.5m) again caught the eye with a brace in the USA’s 3-1 semi-final win over Jamaica.
The Chelsea winger, who has frequently played as a number ten for his country, impressed again when drifting wide and hit the woodwork with a first-half free-kick.
Pulisic’s two goals – his second and third of the tournament – were similar in nature, with the former Borussia Dortmund prospect following up saved efforts from his teammates.
Africa Cup of Nations
Kenya 0-3 Senegal
Senegal secured a last-16 meeting with Uganda after a comfortable 3-0 win over Kenya.
Having failed to score in the opening two group games, Sadio Mane (£11.5m) got off the mark with a second-half brace.
The Liverpool winger was in the thick of the action, picking up a yellow card and missing a first-half penalty.
Mane redeemed himself by latching onto a hoofed ball and finishing low past Patrick Matasi before converting his second spot-kick of the match on 78 minutes.
The former Southampton winger lasted the full duration of the game.
Victor Wanyama (£5.0m) was on the losing side as his country bowed out of the tournament.
The recalled Idrissa Gueye (£5.0m) played the first 80 minutes in central midfield, with Crystal Palace’s Cheikhou Kouyate (£5.0m) again deployed in defence.
Namibia 1-4 Ivory Coast
Wilfried Zaha (£7.0m) made his first start of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and marked it with a goal in his country’s 4-1 win over Namibia.
The Crystal Palace winger had two penalty shouts turned away and scuffed a shot straight at Namibia goalkeeper Lloyd Kazapua but finally got off the mark on 84 minutes, skimming a low effort past Kazapua at his near post.
Serge Aurier (£5.0m) missed out with the hamstring injury he picked up against Morocco, while Jonathan Kodjia (£5.5m) played the last five minutes as a substitute.
Ivory Coast play Mali on Monday in the round of 16.
Tanzania 0-3 Algeria
Riyad Mahrez (£8.5m) was only introduced as a 76th-minute substitute as Algeria kept up their 100% record at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Algeria had already qualified for the last 16 and their coach, Djamel Belmadi, made nine changes to the starting XI from the team that defeated Senegal last week.
Leicester City’s forgotten man, Islam Slimani, scored one of his country’s goals.
Algeria face Guinea in the round of 16 on Sunday.
Guinea-Bissau 0-2 Ghana
Christian Atsu (£5.5m) missed Ghana’s final group game with a hamstring injury and has since been ruled out of the rest of the tournament.
The Newcastle United winger will return to his club for further assessment.
Angola 0-1 Mali
With Mali having already qualified for the last 16, Southampton’s Moussa Djenepo (£5.5m) was one of eight players rotated to the bench for his country’s 1-0 win over Angola.
Djenepo remained an unused substitute throughout.
South Africa 0-1 Morocco
Romain Saiss (£4.5m) played the full 90 minutes as Morocco secured their third straight 1-0 win.
A last-minute goal from Moubarak Boussoufa sealed all three points.
Morocco had already qualified for the last 16, where they will face Benin on Friday.
Cameroon 0-0 Benin
Brighton’s Gaetan Bong (£4.5m) was an unused substitute as his side secured second place in Group F and a round-of-16 tie against Nigeria.
