With at least one representative at each of the four Euro 2020 semifinalists, Chelsea are already guaranteed a European Champion this summer. But if Thiago Silva has anything to say about this, we will also be able to call the club home to a South American Champion.
Captain Silva and his Brazil compatriots have reached the final of this year’s (delayed) Copa América after beating Peru, 1-0, in last night’s hard-fought semifinal — a far cry from the way this game went in the group stages, when Brazil easily swept aside the 27th-ranked team in the world, 4-0.
Brazil’s only goal, just as in the quarterfinals, was scored by Lucas Paquetá, who used to play for AC Milan but moved to Olympique Lyonnais last summer. He’s not exactly known for his goalscoring (though he did score 10 for Lyon), but international tournaments often find unlikely heroes like him. That said, the goal was all about Neymar’s trickeration before finding the 23-year-old Paquetá to apply the simple finish.
Brazil now await the winners of Argentina versus Colombia in Sunday’s final, likely to be high-flying Argentina, who are actually threatening to win a major international tournament with Lionel Messi for the first time since the 2008 Olympics, when he was just 21.