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The goal scored by the Barcelona striker came after a free-kick taken by Mauro Rosales. The ball deflected by Roberto Ayala at the far post was headed in by Saviola. The winner came after both sides converted spot-kicks in the first half.

Argentina took the lead on 25 minutes, when Kily Gonzalez did the honors from the spot after Peruvian Santiago Acasiete brought Rosales down in the box.

The Peruvians drew level 11 minutes on, after Nolberto Solano tucked away his spot-kick, following the foul by Argentinean goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero on Andreas Mendoza.

Argentinean coach Marcelo Bielsa, criticized on several occasions for constant chances on the team, fielded the same players who lost 2-nil to Colombia, the previous Sunday, in Miami. Andres D´Alessandro, sent off in that match, was replaced by Mariano Gonzalez. The Argentineans set most of the agenda and created more opportunities, however, it was a very tight affair.

It was Argentina´s first win since the fixture against Morocco, on April 28th, in Casablanca, during a friendly. Apart from the defeat to Colombia, the two-time world champions and 14-time winners of Copa América haven¿t won a major title since 1993, lost to Brazil 3-1 and were held to a goal-less draw by Paraguay in two World Cup Qualifiers.

ARGENTINA: Pablo Cavallero; Facundo Quiroga, Roberto Ayala, Gabriel Heinze; Javier Zanetti, Fabricio Coloccini, Juan Pablo Sorín; Cristian González; Mauro Rosales, Javier Saviola and Mariano González. Coach: Marcelo Bielsa.
PERU: Oscar Ibáñez; Jorge Soto, Santiago Acasiete, Miguel Robosio, Walter Vilchez; Nolberto Solano, Juan Carlos La Rosa, Julio García, Carlos Zegarra; Andrés Mendoza and Flavio Maestri. Coach: Paulo Autuori.

Goals: First Half: 24m Cristian González (A), penalty; and 36m Solano (P), also converting a penalty-kick. Second Half: 72m Saviola (A).

Substitutions: Second Half: 62m John Galliquio and Jefferson Farfán for Solano and Mendoza (P); 78m Salas for Zegarra (P); 85m Pedro García for Galliquio (P); 87m Luciano Figueroa for Saviola (A) and on 90m Diego Placente for Cristian González (A).

Stadium: Giant's Stadium, in New Jersey (USA).