Paranormal activity

Paraguay highlight the queer nature of Copa 11,having made the final without winning a match.

One fact illustrates the nature of this bewildering Copa America: Paraguay go into Sundays final against Uruguay as the first team to reach the title game without a single victory in five matches. Add to it the flops of Brazil and a Lionel Messi-led Argentina,a repeat of their disappointing exits in the 2010 World Cup when they both also went out in the quarterfinals.

It leaves Uruguay as the clear favorites,once against showing that teamwork trumps star power in the small country of only 3.5 million,which reached the semifinals in South Africa a year ago before going out against the Netherlands. Uruguay enter the final in Buenos Aires with 20 of the 23 players they took to the World Cup and coach Oscar Tabarez,who is affectionately known as Profesor or Maestro.

This group knows each other by heart, midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios said. We try to play when we can,and when we cant the important thing is that we keep our tactical shape and order.

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Uruguays attack has been steady,but not great. Liverpools Luis Suarez scored both goals in the 2-0 semifinal victory against Peru,regularly fed passes by teammate Diego Forlan,the savvy Atletico de Madrid striker. The rugged defence is another matter. Led by Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and defenders Diego Lugano and Sebastian Coates,Uruguay have yielded only three goals in five matches.

Muslera has been as good as any player in the tournament,and he was the difference with a diving save on Carlos Tevez in the penalty shootout against Argentina in the quarterfinals,which provided the narrow 5-4 margin following a 1-1 draw in extra time. Unlike Paraguay,Uruguay are almost injury-free as they seek a record 15th Copa America title. Argentina have 14 and Brazil,who won the last two finals and four of the last five,have eight.

Uruguay won their last Copa America title in 1995 and lost in 99 to Brazil in the final. Were really ready,fired up to win the match that will crown us champions, midfielder Alvaro Gonzalez said. Paraguay find themselves having to defend their right to even be in the final.

They were outplayed by Venezuela in the semifinal,but won 5-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes. Again the goalkeeper,in this case Justo Villar,was the difference. Even Venezuela President Hugo Chavez jumped into the fray after the match,saying in a string of Twitter messages that his team had been robbed of a goal. In fact,a disputed goal by Oswaldo Vizcarrondo was disallowed correctly with TV replays showing it was offside.

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Some comments are saying that Paraguay reached the final without having won, said Juan Angel Napout,president of the Paraguayan Football Association. I say we have reached the final without losing.

Meanwhile,coach Gerardo Martino and his top assistant Jorge Pautasso have been suspended after being ejected for repeatedly arguing with the referee in Wednesdays loss to Venezuela. The No. 2 assistant Adrian Coria will be on the bench on Sunday.

Paraguay has played against difficult teams and has yet to lose, said Gonzalez,the Uruguay midfielder,pointing out that Paraguay drew twice with Brazil once in the group stage and again in the quarterfinals. It played Brazil twice and didnt lose. Paraguay has its strengths,which we hope will not hurt us.

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