Forlan comes through for Uruguay in Copa final

BUENOS AIRES – Diego Forlan’s scoring drought ended at a perfect time for Uruguay, his two goals on Sunday helping beat Paraguay 3-0 to win the Copa America title.

Forlan, voted the best player at last year’s World Cup, hadn’t found the net in 12 matches entering the final at Monumental stadium. But he scored the team’s second and third goals to secure Uruguay a record 15th title in the South American competition.Forlan joins his father, Pablo Forlan, and grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazzo, as Copa America winners with Uruguay.The Atletico de Madrid striker teamed up nicely with Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, who also scored in the final and was selected the tournament’s best player.’This has been a lot of work, going back many years,’ Forlan said. ‘It’s been a job of doing things well and it’s yielded results.’ Forlan scored five times in the World Cup in South Africa but had since been going through a bit of a slump. He had blamed his lack of scoring on the team’s positioning in attack, with him playing behind Suarez and farther from the goal.He kept saying he wasn’t worried, though, and that he knew the goals would start coming again soon.And his first goal on Sunday was key, helping Uruguay fend off Paraguay’s attempt to recover from Suarez’s early strike. Forlan fired a powerful left-footed shot from 12 meters (yards) into the far post beyond goalkeeper Justo Villar in the 42nd minute. Forlan’s second goal sealed the victory in the 90th, taking a pass from Suarez on a breakaway and easily scoring in front of Villar.Forlan and Suarez worked well for Uruguay throughout the tournament. Suarez ended the Copa America with four goals, one fewer than leading scorer Paolo Guerrero of Peru.’We played as a group,’ Suarez said. ‘I think when groups are united like this, everyone together and going for the same thing, you can get things done.’FANFAREThousands of Uruguayan soccer fans, many with faces painted sky blue, flooded into the streets of the capital on Sunday to celebrate their team’s record-breaking Copa America triumph. Some 3 000 fans watched the final on a giant television screen set up in Montevideo’s central avenue despite the chilly winter weather and the final whistle unleashed a cacophony of car horns and singing.’I’m so excited because we won by playing great football … with skillful play, with teamwork,’ fan Neumar Noble said. ‘It’s not just about celebrating the win, it’s also about celebrating the unity of this team.’Sunday’s performance is likely to reaffirm Uruguayan pride in the so-called Garra Charrua, which literally means the Charruan claw, a term used to refer to fighting to the bitter end.The team are commonly nicknamed ‘Los Charruas’ after a long-lost indigenous people.It has been a good stretch for Uruguayan soccer. Just over a year ago, they finished fourth at the World Cup in South Africa. Fans in the small nation of 3.4 million people are enjoying their renaissance on the international stage. It is their first Copa American triumph since 1995.’I dreamed of this. After so many years, the fact that Uruguay is the best in the Americas, makes me happy and optimistic for the World Cup and all the other tournaments ahead,’ said Juan Santestevan as he joined the festivities. Nampa-AP/Reuters