Argentina, Colombia Advance

Argentina eliminated host Peru, 1-0, in Saturday’s quarterfinals of Copa America at Chiclayo, Peru, and will try to end defending champion Colombia’s 10-match unbeaten streak, dating to the last tournament in 2001.

Colombia easily dispatched Costa Rica, 2-0, at Trujillo, on first-half goals by Abel Aguilar and Tressor Moreno and will face Argentina in a semifinal Tuesday at Lima.

Brazil will meet Mexico and Paraguay will play Uruguay in today’s other quarterfinal matches to determine the other semifinal Wednesday.

It took the inspired substitution of Carlos Tevez for Argentina to defeat Peru.

Only three minutes after entering the match, Tevez bent a free kick inside the left corner of the goal in the 61st minute.

“I hit it like I always do and fortunately it went in,” Tevez said.

But when Peru received a free kick also straight out in front four minutes later, Nolberto Solano’s attempt hit the crossbar.

“It was a game that either team could have won,” said Peru Coach Victor Zegarra. “We just couldn’t score. We played as well as Argentina did the entire match.”

Tevez, 20, has dominated the Argentine league for the last 18 months, leading Boca Juniors to the finals of the Copa Libertadores tournament and leaving many to wonder why Coach Marcelo Bielsa waited until last month to start the 2003 Latin American player of the year.

The Argentines played the final minutes a man down after Roberto Ayala was expelled for his second yellow card in the 82nd minute.

Argentina won for the 11th time in 16 Copa America matches against Peru, which was ousted in the quarterfinals of the tournament for the third consecutive time.

In Colombia’s victory, Aguilar one-timed a low right cross from Jairo Patino near the penalty spot in the 41st minute, and two minutes into first-half injury time Moreno converted a penalty kick that he drew when he was tripped on a breakaway by Costa Rica goalkeeper Ricardo Gonzalez.

Colombia Coach Reinaldo Rueda said the victory showed a new side of Colombian soccer, leaving behind the occasional showboating that had brought criticism for past teams.

“That era has come to an end,” he said. “Now Colombia has a different concept of what it takes to win: sacrifice.”

Nine days before Copa America, Colombia defeated Argentina, 2-0, in a friendly match at Miami.