Uruguay's Luis Suarez reacts during the Copa America 2019 Group C match between Uruguay and Chile in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 24, 2019. Uruguay won 1-0. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)
RIO DE JANEIRO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez lavished praise on Edinson Cavani after the striker's late header secured a 1-0 win over Chile in their Copa America Group C clash on Monday.
Uruguay managed just two shots on target before the Paris Saint-Germain player deftly nodded a Jonathan Rodriguez cross into the bottom right corner of Gabriel Arias's goal.
"Cavani doesn't stop, ever," Tabarez said. "And he never loses his quality as a goalscorer. It was a good cross but not very strong. He had to head it with power and there are not many players capable of doing it in that manner."
The victory meant Uruguay topped the group with seven points from three matches, earning them a quarterfinal clash with Peru at Salvador's Fonte Nova Arena on Saturday.
Defending champions Chile, who finished second in Group C, face Colombia at Sao Paulo's Corinthians Arena on Friday.
"It was a really tough game. Those close games are often decided by details," Tabarez said. "This team will always fight until the end. That's a characteristic of our football. We might slip up sometimes, but we fight for every ball as if were our last.
"That attitude forms the basis of everything we do and now the young players that we have are also taking that on board which reassures me about our future."
Tabarez also dismissed suggestions that Peru, who lost 5-0 to hosts Brazil in their last group match, would be easy opponents, though he said an extra day's rest would favor his players.
