Chile top Copa America Group C

MENDOZA, Argentina (AP):

Chile secured top spot in Group C and avoided Argentina in the Copa America quarter-finals with a late 1-0 win over Peru on Tuesday.

Chile went ahead two minutes into second-half stoppage time when a curling corner taken by Jorge Valdivia missed several players in the area before rebounding off the knee of Peru substitute André Carrillo and into an open goal.

Chile finished the group stage with seven points to top the group. Peru are third with four points after Uruguay defeated Mexico 1-0 in La Plata, Argentina, later Tuesday on an early goal by Alvaro Pereira.

Chile avoided Argentina but they may still face Brazil, depending on Wednesday's results. Uruguay will play neighbours Argentina in the quarter-finals. Mexico were eliminated.

Chile and Peru had already secured spots in the next round and rested several regular starters at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas.

Altercation

Both teams were reduced to 10 men from the 62nd when Chile's Jean Beausejour and Peru's Giancarlo Carmona were ejected for an altercation.

Chile controlled the action from the start and had most of the significant scoring opportunities.

Striker Esteban Paredes, replacing starter Alexis Sanchez, came close after a left-flank cross by Beausejour in the 14th, but he was just a bit late trying to reach the ball in front of the net.

Humberto Suazo's shot went just wide a minute, and Peru threatened with William Chiroque's shot in the 26th and a missed opportunity by Josepmir Ballon in the 39th.

Two minutes into the second half, Paredes went close again with a header that caught the outside of the net.

A Sanchez free kick in the 82nd went just over the crossbar and Luis Antonio Jimenez's header in the 86th missed wide. Suazo just barely reached a dangerous cross inside the area.

The victory will keep Chile at their headquarters in Mendoza, near the Chilean border. They had the majority of the fans at the stadium on Tuesday.

In the later match, Uruguay dominated the early play, and Pereira's goal in the 15th minute gave the South Americans even more momentum.

Diving stop

Goalkeeper Luis Michel was forced to make a diving stop just a minute after the goal. Diego Forlan also hit the post in the 30th and Luis Suarez missed by inches in the 36th.

Giovani Dos Santos had Mexico's best chance in the first half, forcing Fernando Muslera into a diving save in the 25th.

Uruguay pressed for an insurance goal in the second half, dominating most of the possession.

Forlan, who had not scored in his previous nine matches with the national team, was alone in front of the net in the 63rd but shot over the crossbar, and did so again in the 78th.

Uruguay had a half-dozen scoring chances in the second half and hit the post. Mexico's Rafael Marquez put the ball in the net in the 80th, but the play was called offside.

It was a disappointing tournament for Mexico, who were the runner-up in 1993 and 2001.

Mexico lost all three of their matches fielding a second-string team. Mexico played in the Copa America as a guest team and fielded a mostly sub-23, Olympic-style team. Their first team won the Gold Cup in June, defeating the United States 4-2 in the final.