Print      
Brazil fires coach in wake of elimination
Associated Press

Brazil’s football confederation fired national coach Dunga on Tuesday in the wake of the team’s elimination from the Copa America in the United States.

The confederation announced Dunga’s dismissal in a brief statement, adding that the search for a new coach has begun.

Gilmar Rinaldi, the team’s general manager, was also fired.

Brazil failed to get past the group stage after drawing 0-0 with Ecuador, beating Haiti, 7-1, and losing to Peru, 1-0, on Sunday.

According to local media, the favorite to replace the 53-year-old Dunga is Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, known as Tite.

Tite is currently the coach of Brazilian league champion Corinthians.

Dunga was the captain of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning team, and previously coached the national team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He was dismissed after Brazil lost 2-1 in the quarterfinals to the Netherlands.

Copa America

Chile 4, Panama 2 — Eduardo Vargas and Alexis Sanchez each scored twice and Chile advanced to the quarterfinals with a win in Philadelphis.

Chile likely will face Mexico in the next round on Saturday in Santa Clara, Calif. Panama was eliminated.

Miguel Camargo scored for Panama in the fifth minute with a shot that deflected off Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. Vargas equalized 10 minutes later on a rebound off an Alexis Sanchez shot.

The Hoffenheim striker added his second goal with a header just before halftime, and Sanchez scored in the 50th and 90th minute. Abdiel Arroyo scored for Panama in the 75th.

Defending Copa America champion Chile had several other scoring chances, including an Arturo Vidal header saved by Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo in the first half.

Argentina 3, Bolivia 0 — Erik Lamela and Ezequiel Lavezzi scored two minutes apart early in the first half, Victor Cuesta scored his first international goal later in the half and Argentina dominated Bolivia in Seattle to win Group D.

European

Iceland 1, Portugal 1 — A goal from Birkir Bjarnason earned Iceland a shocking draw with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Saint-Etienne, France. It was the tiny Scandinavian nation’s first ever match at a major tournament.

Iceland, which managed only four shots to Portugal’s 25, was second best most of the Group F game and trailed after a first-half strike by Nani. But its players showed resilience throughout, and took advantage of Portugal’s profligacy in front of goal.

Bjarnason slotted home the equalizer in the 50th minute with a curled volley at the far post against the run of the play, moments after Ronaldo missed a chance to make it 2-0 when he shot wide.

‘‘We should have scored more goals, there is no secret about that,’’ Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. ‘‘We are to blame for that.’

With a population of 330,000, Iceland is the smallest nation ever to play at a European Championship. It defied the odds to reach the tournament by finishing second in its qualifying group behind the Czech Republic and above Turkey and the Netherlands, defeating the Dutch twice.

‘‘So many things are happening for the first time to Iceland,’’ the team’s co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said. ‘‘This is another first-time achievement. It was fantastic to play here. It was like playing at home, the fans were fantastic.’’

Hungary 2, Austria — Gabor Kiraly set an age record in Hungary’s win in Bordeaux, France.

The Hungary goalkeeper became the first 40-year-old player to participate in the continental championship, surpassing the record set by Germany great Lothar Matthaus by almost a year.

Adam Szalai gave Hungary the lead at Stade de Bordeaux with his first goal in 12 appearances. Substitute Zoltan Stieber added the other after Austria was reduced to 10 men when Aleksandar Dragovic was shown a second yellow card.

US Open Cup

The Revolution return to action for the first time in 18 days when they head down to Cary, N.C., for a match against the Carolina RailHawks on Wednesday.

Carolina plays in the North American Soccer League, the second level on the US soccer pyramid.

After winning just once in their first 11 games, the Revolution rattled off two wins in three games, most recently knocking off Seattle at Gillette Stadium May 28 with a late Femi Hollinger-Janzen goal, 2-1.