CONCEPCION: Paolo Guerrero fired Peru to a third place play-off victory over Paraguay here on Friday to stay in the hunt for Copa America tournament top-scorer honours.

The Flamengo striker, top-scorer at the 2011 Copa America, bagged his fourth goal of this year’s tournament with a late strike as Peru completed a 2-0 victory.

The goal saw Guerrero join Chile’s Eduardo Vargas as joint top-scorer.

The 31-year-old’s 25th international goal has also edged him closer to overhauling Peru legend Teofilo Cubillas’s national record of 26 goals.

Peru’s other goal came from Andre Carrillo in the 48th minute.

A dangerous corner by Peru’s highly rated midfielder Christian Cueva was headed into the path of Carrillo by Paraguay’s Raul Bobadilla.

VICTORIOUS Peru players pose with their medals.—AP

The 24-year-old met the clearance with a sweetly struck volley which flew into the bottom corner past the dive of Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar.

Paraguay, thrashed 6-1 by Argentina in the semi-finals, raised their game fleetingly and almost snatched an equaliser on 68 minutes only for striker Edgar Benitez to be denied by a superb block from Peru midfielder Carlos Ascues.

Peru’s win saw them repeat their third-place finish at the 2011 Copa America.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2015

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