Sunday 5 July 2015

Copa America: Champions Chile bury past ghosts


Chile 0
Argentina 0
After extra time. Chile won 4-1 on penalties.

Chile Bravo (c) - Beausejour, Medel, Diaz, Silva, Isla - Vidal, Valdivia (Fernandez 75), Aranguiz - Sanchez, Vargas (Henriquez 95). Booked Silva, Diaz, Medel, Aranguiz
Argentina Romero - Zabaleta, Demichelis, Otamendi, Rojo - Biglia, Mascherano, Pastore (Banega 81) - Messi (c), Aguero (Higuain 74), Di Maria (Lavezzi 29). Booked Rojo, Mascherano, Banega
Attendance 45,693 at the Estadio Nacional, Santiago Referee Wilmar Roldan (Colombia)
Kick-off 9pm BST. Live on Premier Sports.

Penalties 1-0 Fernandez scored 1-1 Messi scored 2-1 Vidal scored 2-1 Higuain missed 3-1 Aranguiz scored 3-1 Banega missed 4-1 Sanchez scored


HOSTS Chile secured their first ever Copa America title after beating neighbours Argentina on penalties at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago.

Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez chipped the decisive kick as La Roja made up for years of heartbreak with a 4-1 shootout victory on home soil.

Prior to the excitement of the penalties, the match had been a disappointment as Argentina - and Gonzalo Higuain in particular - endured an uneasy sense of deja vu.

It is one week short to an exact year since Argentina were beaten in extra time by Germany in the World Cup Final - and then, as in this match, Higuain missed one of very few clear-cut opportunities for either side.

The Napoli forward even compounded his error this time by blazing his penalty over the bar as Chile took control of the shoot-out.

Matias Fernandez and Arturo Vidal had already scored, with Messi replying for Argentina, when Charles Aranguiz stepped up to take Chile's third.

Aranguiz made no mistake - and so, at 3-1 down, Argentine Ever Banega clearly felt the pressure and gave Chile skipper Claudio Bravo a comfortable save.

All that was left to do for Sanchez then was score - and he did, in some style, with a glorious Panenka-style finish.

Sanchez thus added a little sparkle to Chile's success which came with the hosts almost falling over the line having enjoyed a goal-laden group phase.

True, the draw had been kind to the Chileans as they lined up against Ecuador, Bolivia, and perennial guests Mexico who sent a development squad.

And, following a 2-0 win in the tournament opener against Ecuador, Chile twice had to come from behind in a 3-3 draw with the Mexicans as Vidal scored a brace.

But, in their third group match, the hosts turned on the style to thump Bolivia 5-0 and finish the group stage as the top scorers with 10 goals.

In the other two groups, the games were generally cagey affairs - although the powerhouses, Argentina and Brazil, both eventually topped their respective sections.

Holders Uruguay - without Luis Suarez - were a disappointing and generally cynical mess, while Colombia scored just once in four games - though made it count as Jeison Murillo's goal gave them a 1-0 win over Brazil.

Ah, Brazil - formerly the spiritual home of football but, perhaps, now no more

Their most talented player Neymar showed his frustration at the end of that bad-tempered match and was sent off after the final whistle along with Colombia's Carlos Bacca amid a huge scuffle. 

Brazil were able to beat Venezuela without Neymar in their final group match but stodgy, defensive tactics were of no help once Dunga's men had lost the lead against an ageing Paraguay team.

Paraguay thus prevailed in their quarter final on penalties - and so Brazil were made to reflect on another poor defeat, almost one year after their humiliation against Germany.

At least the Brazilians avoided another semi final hammering as Lionel Messi and Argentina delivered the most complete performance of any side at the tournament to beat the Paraguayans 6-1. 

Remarkably, Barcelona forward Messi failed to score any of the half-dozen goals - but he played a hand in every single one.

And, though the competition would ultimately finish in more heartbreak for La Albiceleste, Argentina will retain hope of ending their 22-year drought while Messi remains in the team. 

For Chile, party time is now - though their knockout stage wins against Uruguay and Peru were not without their controversies.

Against Uruguay, Gonzalo Jara acted the villain by inserting a digit up the rectum of Edinson Cavani to prompt a reaction from the Paris Saint-Germain forward which led to his sending off. 

Shorn of Suarez and then Cavani, it was no surprise to see the defending champions bow out to the hosts thanks the Mauricio Isla's late goal.

Then, against Peru, the Chileans rode their luck somewhat, benefiting from a controversial red card for Peru’s Carlos Zambrano, the non-award of a card of any colour for Vidal when he shoved Zambrano in the face early on, and an opening goal that was marginally offside.

The impressive Peruvians, for whom Paolo Guerrero scored a hat-trick in the quarter final against Bolivia, at least recovered to take third place against a shell-shocked Paraguay.

Meanwhile, the Chileans' unsteady progress only added to the feeling that the crown was destined to be won by a host nation for the first time since Colombia's victory in 2001.

Of course, it would be churlish not to give Chile huge credit following their first international trophy after a 99-year wait.

La Roja still generally play the game in the right manner with two strikers - and, in Vidal and Sanchez, they have two outstandingly talented players.

Naturally, both they and their team-mates cannot change the grim history of the Estadio Nacional in Santiago. Notoriously, the arena was used as a prison camp and torture facility by military dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1973.

Nevertheless, this team of Chileans has done all that could be asked of it. For the first time ever, Chile are Copa America champions.

FULL COPA AMERICA 2015 RESULTS
GROUP A
12-Jun 00:30 CHILE2-0ECUADORSantiago
13-Jun 00:30 MEXICO0-0BOLIVIAVina del Mar
15-Jun 22:00ECUADOR2-3BOLIVIAValparaiso
16-Jun 00:30CHILE3-3MEXICOSantiago
19-Jun 22:00MEXICO1-2ECUADORRancagua
20-Jun 00:30CHILE5-0BOLIVIASantiago

GROUP A TABLEWDLFAGDPts
(Q) CHILE210103+77
(Q) BOLIVIA11137-44
Ecuador10246-23
Mexico02145-12

GROUP B
13-Jun 20:00URUGUAY1-0JAMAICAAntofagasta
13-Jun 22:30ARGENTINA2-2PARAGUAYLa Serena
16-Jun 20:00PARAGUAY1-0JAMAICAAntofagasta
17-Jun 00:30ARGENTINA1-0URUGUAYLa Serena
20-Jun 20:00URUGUAY1-1PARAGUAYLa Serena
20-Jun 22:30ARGENTINA1-0JAMAICAVina del Mar

GROUP B TABLEWDLFAGDPts
(Q) ARGENTINA21042+27
(Q) PARAGUAY12043+15
(Q) URUGUAY1112204
Jamaica00303-30

GROUP C
14-Jun 20:00COLOMBIA0-1VENEZUELARancagua
14-Jun 22:30BRAZIL2-1PERUTemuco
18-Jun 01:00BRAZIL0-1COLOMBIASantiago
19-Jun 00:30PERU1-0VENEZUELAValparaiso
21-Jun 20:00COLOMBIA0-0PERUTemuco
21-Jun 22:30BRAZIL2-1VENEZUELASantiago

GROUP C TABLEWDLFAGDPts
(Q) BRAZIL20143+16
(Q) PERU1112204
(Q) COLOMBIA1111104
Venezuela10223-13

QUARTER FINALS
25-Jun 00:30CHILE1-0URUGUAYSantiago
26-Jun 00:30BOLIVIA1-3PERUTemuco
27-Jun 00:30ARGENTINA*0-0COLOMBIAVina del Mar
27-Jun 22:30BRAZIL1-1PARAGUAY^Concepcion
*ARGENTINA won 5-4 on penalties    ^PARAGUAY won 4-3 on penalties

SEMI FINALS
30-Jun 00:30CHILE2-1PERUSantiago
01-Jul 00:30ARGENTINA6-1PARAGUAYConcepcion

THIRD PLACE PLAYOFF
04-Jul 00:30 PERU2-0PARAGUAYConcepcion

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