Gareca: Peru can upstage Chile

Peru coach Ricardo Gareca believes his team can compete with host nation Chile in their Copa America semi-final.

Paolo Guerrero netted a hat-trick as Peru defeated Bolivia 3-1 in their quarter-final match-up in Temuco on Thursday.

Guerrero scored twice in the space of three minutes in the first half, and he completed his three-goal haul with 16 minutes remaining.

Marcelo Martins converted a late penalty but it proved nothing more than a consolation for Bolivia, as Peru reached consecutive Copa semi-finals, with Chile awaiting in Santiago on Monday.

“The enthusiasm of the players is ideal and today we went out aggressively to find the first goal,” he said.

“We’ve got the weapons to be a competitive national team, but I believe that every match we have, we keep getting better. We should play the best match possible in every match to satisfy the people who always support us.”

Gareca added: “What makes me the most happy is that the country is happy.

“Tonight we played against a rival that never gave up, with a great attitude, and it was predictable that at some point we had to keep the result, not because nobody wanted it but because they didn’t give in.”