Advertisement

Chile wins Copa America on PKs as Messi, Argentina come up short again

Chile wins Copa America on PKs as Messi, Argentina come up short again

It only took one second for Chile to erase more than a century’s worth of distinguished but ultimately fruitless soccer.

The long wait for international glory is finally over. Argentina’s goes on agonizingly longer.

Alexis Sanchez’s tranquil penalty finished off Argentina 4-1 in a shootout and won the 2015 Copa America for Chile in Santiago.

Chile played its first international match in 1910, and before Saturday, a third-place finish at the 1962 World Cup and a handful of runner-up finishes at the Copa America represented the nation’s most notable performances.

A full 90 minutes and two periods of extra time weren’t enough to break the scoreless deadlock between Chile and the favored Argentines on Saturday. Matias Fernandez and Lionel Messi opened the shootout by scoring their penalties, and Chile’s Arturo Vidal fired home a hard shot into the lower left-hand corner despite Sergio Romero getting a hand on it.

Gonzalo Higuain missed high with his penalty and after Charles Aranguiz scored, Ever Banega’s penalty was saved by Chilean keeper Claudio Bravo, handing Sanchez the opportunity to make history.

Cool as you like, the Arsenal winger took it:

While the cauldron of red at the Estadio Nacional erupted in celebration, Argentina’s heads dropped as the 22-year wait for an international trophy will continue. Despite the presence of Messi, arguably the greatest player of all time, and a wealth of talent, Argentina lost last summer’s World Cup final in extra time before Saturday’s crushing defeat.

It would be easy to say the match lacked attacking ingenuity, but both defenses were organized and cut down space to operate in the back third. Chile and Argentina gave up only seven goals combined in 10 Copa America games coming into the final, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been so unexpected.

That said, Messi orchestrated a golden chance for Argentina right before the final whistle of regulation. He took possession near midfield and played a perfectly timed pass to Ezequiel Lavezzi, whose pass across the goal mouth looked ripe for Higuain:

Lavezzi had to replace Angel Di Maria in the 29th minute after Di Maria appeared to injure his left hamstring. Even without its star winger, Argentina took advantage of Chile’s high pressing in the first half and generated a couple of good scoring chances.

The closest might have been this free kick from Messi, which Sergio Aguero flicked right into Bravo’s path:

Chile will defend its title next summer at the Copa America Centenario. Normally held every four years, the Copa America will hold a special 100-year anniversary tournament in the United States and expand the field between the North and South American soccer confederations.

The tournament will also mark Argentina’s next shot at international silverware. For Messi and his teammates, who will likely get hammered by their home media outlets after their latest failure, it can’t get here soon enough.