WASHINGTON, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chile manager Ricardo Gareca said his team remains hopeful of reaching the Copa America knockout stage after a goalless draw with Peru in their tournament opener on Friday.
Chile controlled 65 percent of possession but had only one shot on target against a Peru side that forced four saves from Roja goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.
"It was an evenly fought contest," Gareca, who served as Peru's manager from 2015 to 2022 before taking charge of Chile in January, told reporters after the duel.
"Beyond the fact that we wanted to win the game, the most important thing of all is to stay in contention. We are now where we started, with possibilities [of advancing]."
Gareca insisted he had felt no added pressure against his former team and said the result allowed Chile to "improve, see and analyze" for the rest of the tournament.
His Peru counterpart, Jorge Fossati, expressed satisfaction at the Blanquirroja's performance.
"We had a great attitude and started well," Fossati said. "But we became anxious and lacked confidence at key moments." ■