By the 1950s, Peru had once again become a major protagonist in South American football, ranking among the top 20 strongest football nations of the decade. In the Pan-American Championship of 1952 the Peruvians defeated Panama and Mexico, tied with Brazil and lost to Chile and Uruguay in close matches. Players such as Alberto Terry, Guillermo Barbadillo, Valeriano López, Félix Castillo, and Óscar Gómez Sánchez contributed to Peru's competitive play throughout the 1950s. During 1953 and 1954, Peru achieved its only two titles of the decade, twice winning the "Copa del Pacífico" (Pacific Cup), a trophy disputed between Chile and Peru every time the two sides play. In the 1955 South American Championship, the national squad's campaign took them to a third-place finish. Nonetheless, the team fared poorly at the Pan-American Championship held in Mexico, and the South American Championship in Montevideo. The team made a slight recovery as the decade closed, reaching fourth place at the 1957 and 1959 South American Championships, and defeating England 4–1 in an exhibition match.