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Martino: Winning in open play not important

Argentine Martino's team, who reached the final after five draws including two penalty shootout wins, face favourites Uruguay in Sunday's final at River Plate's Monumental stadium.

"All that matters is to be champions. To win the Copa America is very important," Martino, who will be serving a two-match suspension in the final, told a news conference.

"All the draws came about in the same way and if we get the result on Sunday I'll still celebrate it like I did against Venezuela," he said of Paraguay's 5-3 shootout victory after a 0-0 draw in Wednesday's semi-final in Mendoza.

"If someone thinks we can't see our faults, there's no need for them to remind us when we play badly, we know that."

"It's clear Uruguay have reached the final going from less to more with their best performance against Peru [in a 2-0 semi-final win]. We're in a process that's exactly the reverse," he said.

"I'm sorry not to be by the pitch, not because my presence might be more or less important, but because I feel I committed another serious error and it's unpardonable for a coach not to be by his players," Martino said.

But Martino's Uruguayan counterpart Oscar Tabarez said there was nothing he could to do change Paraguay's good fortune.

"The only thing we can do with luck is wish to have it," Tabarez said. "Luck is something you can't practice, control or forsee. In my case I don't worry about luck."