CHILE BINGWA COPA AMERICA, YAIUA ARGENTINA 4-1
The Chile squad celebrate with the Copa America trophy after finally winning the tournament for the very first time
Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and his team-mates hold the trophy aloft after their penalty shootout win against Argentina
Alexis Sanchez gets his hands on the hefty Copa America trophy as members of the team are joined by their family in celebrating
A dejected Lionel Messi takes his runners-up medal off after failing to inspire Argentina to victory during a heated game
Alexis Sanchez scored the winning penalty for Chile as they beat Argentina 4-1 in a shootout to win the Copa America in Santiago
The
team hailed at the start of this tournament as the best Chile had ever
produced duly delivered as Argentina lost a second major final in as
many summers.
A breathless but goalless 90 minutes was followed by a tense period of extra-time between the two best sides in the competition.
But it
was Chile who, at the opposite end to the permanently empty seats that
serve as a reminder of lives lost, held their nerve from 12 yards.
Even
the Santiago smog had cleared sufficiently for the snow-kissed Andes to
provide a stunning backdrop to the closing act of the 44th edition of
the South American showpiece.
Scorer of the winning penalty Sanchez whips off his shirt as he celebrates Chile's historic Copa America victory
The Chile players mob Arsenal star Sanchez as the squad celebrate winning their first ever major trophy
Gonzalo Higuain balloons his spot kick wildly over the bar to hand the initiative to the host nation in Santiago
Tensions run high as both sets of players line up on the half-way line ahead of the crucial penalty shootout
Chile
were one of four nations to have made up the first in 1916 but had
never stepped on to the winners' podium despite reaching the final on
four previous occasions while Argentina were looking to quench their own
22-year trophy drought And La Albiceleste had triumphed at the last
four Copa Americas held in this country.
The
donation of 40,000 flags to the home support by a prominent
philanthropist created a wall of red, white and blue with several
thousand of their Argentinian counterparts able to get their hands on
tickets which had reportedly been on sale for up to £16,000 on the black
market Chile boss Jose Sampaoli, tasked with masterminding victory over
his homeland, dropped Jose Rojas after a poor performance against Peru
in the semi-final.
And
having locked himself away and agonised over how best to stop Lionel
Messi, he opted to recall Jean Beausejour while Miikel Albornoz made way
for Francisco Silva.
With
Ezequiel Garay failing to recover from a stomach bug, Martin Demichelis
retained his place at the heart of Argentina's defence as Tata Martino
stuck with the side that ran riot against Paraguay in the last four. Six
of the line-up also started in the triumphant 2008 Olympic final in
Beijing while seven remained from the defeat by Germany at the World
Cup.
Chile
had betrayed a sense of nervousness against Peru as they perhaps felt
the weight of expectation for the first time following a hitherto
near-flawless campaign.
But
they made a bright start to the final, led by Jorge Valdivia, often
more playboy than playmaker, but who had been instrumental in La Roja's
run to the final.
The
hosts certainly showed no signs of abandoning their attacking
principles in a frenetic start, even if their final deliveries were
somewhat lacking. Eduardo Vargas, the hero in the semi-final, burst into
the box but dragged his shot wide of the far post before Arturo Vidal
broke from deep to volley goalwards only to be denied by a sprawling
Sergio Romero.
But
after a hesitant opening, Argentina almost broke the deadlock when
Sergio Aguero met a near-post free-kick only for Claudio Bravo to react
instantly and parry the header to safety. At the other end, Vargas
latched on to an inch-perfect pass before proceeding to blaze his effort
wastefully over the bar.
Gonzalo Higuain slides in at the back post but can only stab an effort into the side netting from an acute angle
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez watches his effort fly past the outstretched glove of Sergio Romero but past the post too
Argentina forward Lionel Messi ends up in the net but neither side managed to out the ball in the goal in 90 minutes
Lionel Messi gets a kick in the
midriff by former Cardiff player Gary Medel as the Barcelona forward
take the ball down on his chest
Chile defender Medel protests to the
referee as he is awarded with a yellow card for kicking Messi in the
stomach during the first half
Angel di Maria hits the deck after appearing to injure his hamstring during the first half before being substituted
Chile manage to get the ball clear after goalkeeper Claudio Bravo makes a save in a crowded penalty area to deny Argentina
Martino
was forced into an unplanned switch on the half-hour mark when Angel di
Maria, who had been the victim of persistent and blatant fouling,
pulled his hamstring and was replaced by Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Chile
had used PlayStation technology in an attempt to thrash out out a plan
to thwart Messi but but Gary Medel resorted to less refined methods with
a mistimed kick to his midriff.
Both
sides had opportunities to go into the break in front with Sanchez
curling the ball straight at Romero before Lavezzi forced Bravo into a
smart stop at the other end.
And
it was a similar story after the break with Vidal heading tamely at
Argentina's goalkeeper before the pace finally relented.
Manchester United midfielder Di Maria is sent tumbling to the turf under a strong challenge by Chile midfielder Charles Aranguiz
Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano points to his chest as the referee dishes out a yellow card for handball
Argentina
had looked most dangerous from set pieces but even Messi, a shadow of
the man who tore Paraguay to shreds, failed to clear the wall with a
free-kick from a threatening position.
Sanchez,
who had endured a frustrating tournament in front of goal, almost set
up his former Colo Colo team-mate Vidal for the opener but his shot at
the back post was blocked. Sanchez was again the creator when he
supplied Vargas but the former Queens Park Rangers loanee could not
direct his shot either side of Romero.
With
extra-time looming for the first time in the tournament, a sullen
Valdivia refused to acknowledge his replacement Matias Fernandes while
Martino turned to Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega.
But
neither side looked prepared to grab this final by the scruff of the
neck until Sanchez came within inches of winning it with a well-hit
volley.
Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal is
carried off the pitch on a stretcher after suffering a cut below his
right knee but was OK to continue
Eduardo Vargas, who was on loan at QPR last season, goes down clutching his face after a collision with Nicolas Otamendi
Messi goes down as the Barcelona star is crowded out by Chile midfielder Vidal and Jorge ValdÃvia
The
ever-animated Martino was left incredulous when referee Wilmar Roldan
failed to award a penalty after Silva pulled Marcos Rojo to the ground
inside the area.
And
with the last kick of normal time, Higuain missed a glorious chance
when he could only turn Lavezzi's slightly overhit pass into the side
netting after a rare solo run from Messi.
With
legs tiring and tempers fraying, Marcelo Diaz curled an effort over the
bar in extra-time before Sanchez took advantage of Javier Mascherano's
slip to scamper clear but, as a nation held its collective breath, the
Arsenal forward failed to hit the target.
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez hurdles the challenge of Otamendi as Chile pour forward on the attack
Chile forward Vargas pulls his shorts and lets out a cry of frustration after missing a chance for the hosts
Four time Ballon d'Or winner Messi attempts to evade the challenge of Aranguiz, who keeps the Argentine in close quarters
A
rousing rendition of the Chilean national anthem preceded the shoot-out
with deafening whistles accompanying each Argentinian effort.
Messi
made no mistake but his strike was rendered meaningless when Higuain
fired high into the stand before Banega's weak effort was comfortably
saved by Bravo.
Vidal,
who had squeezed home his own penalty, immediately broke rank and
sprinted half the length of the pitch to congratulate his captain before
returning to watch Sanchez finish the job.
And a ground that has witnessed such sorrow, smiled again.
Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo watches
on as Argentina forward Sergio Aguero beats Medel to the ball and gets a
header towards goal
Medel goes down under the challenge of Aguero as the Manchester City striker snaps away at the Chilean during heated affair
Chile fans pose for the camera ahead of the Copa America final against Argentina at the National Stadium in Santiago
The Argentina squad line up ahead of
the match with Gerardo Martino's side bidding to win the tournament for
the first time since 1993
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