Chile Oust Uruguay, Liverpool Sign Firmino, Marcela Mora y Araujo on Messi, USA Gold Cup Squad

Sadly, the tactic employed was successful. Thankfully, he's been banned.

It was a bit chippy and feisty and finger-up-the-butty, but hosts Chile managed (thanks to a ridiculous red card on Cavani) to get past Uruguay and reach the semis of Copa América after a goal from QPR legend Mauricio Isla. Today's match is Bolivia vs. Peru. Here are a few pieces of note about last night's affair in Santiago:

Chile 1 - 0 Uruguay: Tim Vickery at the National Stadium

Chile 1 - 0 Uruguay: Three Thoughts

Gabriele Marcotti: Chile and Uruguay pushed the limits in clash that turned ugly

If you want more Women's World Cup, you'll have to wait until tomorrow when France and Germany clash and the U.S. of A. face China. To hold you over until then, we offer Caitlin Murray's Power Rankings. Oh, and a great article by Laurent Dubois on just why the women are playing on turf.

SSN regulars will know that we love us some Marcela Mora y Araujo. She doesn't write much, but when she does she provides some great insight into what's up down in Argentina. Today, she's looking into the Messi enigma. Is Argentine gaffer Tata Martino partly to blame for Messi still not finding his best form in his national jersey?

Backheel Breakfast

The Diving German has announced his squad for the Gold Cup. Clint Dempsey's recent lack of discipline has not kept him out of the tournament. Here's the crew:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)

DEFENDERS (7): Ventura Alvarado (Club America), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt), DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Liverpool have signed Firmino. That's a pretty big signing. Will he help save Rodgers's job? Phil McNulty is on the case. Inter signed Geoffrey Kondogbia. James Horncastle thinks it will not only benefit the Milan side, but Serie A as a whole. Other signings, almost-signings, rumors, rumours? Here you go:

The Mill. Plus One. Plus Plus One.

Amy Lawrence writes this: After the travails of Micah Richards and Ashley Cole in Serie A, is it a coincidence that England’s best World Cup performance since 1966 was in 1990, during a period when more of the nation’s coveted talent played overseas? We shall read more of what she writes about that here.

And finally...Grant Wahl has a fascinating piece on the USWNT kit man who was fired in February. 

Onward!!

-SSN

nbcsoccer.com