Copa America final: Chile defeat Argentina after shootout

Summary

Chile win first Copa America final
Higuain & Banega fail to score in shootout
Cagey final of very few chances
Argentina without a major trophy in 22 years

Live Reporting

Phil Dawkes

Thank you and good nightpublished at 00:00
Chile win the Copa America
Image source, Getty Images
It was a bit of a slog at times during the 120 minutes of normal and extra time, but what a dramatic and satisfying end to the final. Chile were brave as Argentina wilted.
La Albiceleste are left with only questions. What changed from the semi-final? Where was Messi? What has happened to Higuain?
La Roja can celebrate long and hard. Bet Santiago is fun this evening. Good night.
Cheers for Chile, tears for Argentinapublished at 23:59 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile win the Copa America
Quote Message
It was game in which the destroyers kicked, grappled and smothered the playmakers. Messi wasn't given a yard of space as Chile stifled Argentina's attack. In that regard Jorge Sampaoli's game-plan worked perfectly. Apparently he'd studied hours of tapes of Barcelona in action to discover the key to stopping Messi. But through-out the tournament the Chileans have shown a strong will-to-win, which at times could even be described as dirty. Jara's finger the perfect case in point. They out-fought Uruguay and stamped out Argentina's goal menace. Chile has never won the Copa America in the competition's 99 year history, but with such a strong team there was clearly a feeling inside the country of 'now or never'. And so it went to penalties. Maybe it was just the smoggy air but it seemed almost impossible to breathe inside the stadium. It was now!
Richard Padula, BBC World Service in Santiago
Chile end a century of hurtpublished at 23:51 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile win the Copa America
That $25,000 price-tag for a ticket for this game probably feels quite cheap right now for the fans in this ground. This is history in the making.
CHAMPAGNE MOMENTpublished at 23:47 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
CHILE WIN THE COPA AMERICA
There it is! The Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos erupts as Alexis Sanchez slots home the coolest of spot-kicks. They held their nerve and are rewarded with a first Copa America, a first ever major trophy, right in front of their own supporters. And they are rightly going mad.
GOALpublished at 23:47 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 4-1 Argentina - Alexis Sanchez
Cool. Super, super cool. Sanchez slots the ball down the middle.
MISSED PENALTYpublished at 23:46 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 3-1 Argentina - Ever Banega
Bravo dives to his left and makes an excellent save. Chile on the brink....
GOALpublished at 23:45 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 3-1 Argentina - Charles Aranguiz
Cracking pen. Again Romero dives the right way - to his left - but the penalty is low and precise.
MISSED PENALTYpublished at 23:44 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 2-1 Argentina - Gonzalo Higuain
Image source, Reuters
Hmm. not great. Higuain smashes the ball well over the crossbar.
GOALpublished at 23:44 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 2-1 Argentina - Arturo Vidal
Romero gets a hand to the ball after diving the correct way but there is enough power on the ball to take it into the net.
GOALpublished at 23:43 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 1-1 Argentina - Lionel Messi
Image source, AP
Keeper goes the right way but the spot kick is low and into the corner.
GOALpublished at 23:42 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 1-0 Argentina - Matias Fernandez
Hammered into the top corner. No chance for the keeper.
Postpublished at 23:42 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 0-0 Argentina
Chile to go first...
Postpublished at 23:42 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 0-0 Argentina
Such pressure on these players now. Argentina are 22 years without a major trophy, Chile have never won one. Who will handle this best? We're about to find out. Glory or bust.
FULL-TIMEpublished at 120 mins
Chile 0-0 Argentina
Image source, Getty Images
How are your nerves lads?
Postpublished at 119 mins
Chile 0-0 Argentina
Now Argentina have a chance to win this game. It is a free-kick midway inside the Chile half. Banega swings it in but the ball is headed clear. This is going to be settled to be penalties.
Postpublished at 118 mins
Chile 0-0 Argentina
Chile have a corner. A chance to create the most significant moment in their football history. The mind is willing but the body is tired as the corner fails to beat the first man and is headed clear. Time ticks away. Two minutes to go.
Postpublished at 114 mins
Chile 0-0 Argentina
Alexis Sanchez drops to the ground following a sliding challenge from Nicolas Otamendi as he charges away down the left. The ref doesn't see anything wrong, though, and play continues, much to the players disgust.
Soon after, Vidal nicks the ball off an Argentine defender in the box and sets up Charles Aranguiz but his shot is over the bar.
Postpublished at 107 mins
Chile 0-0 Argentina
One thing is for certain, it is going to be a much more hospitable atmosphere for Chile players taking penalties than the Argentina players.
Chile corner. Their third. Argentina clear the initial delivery before Alexis Sanchez tries to weave his way back into the box but only runs down a blind alley.
KICK-OFFpublished at 23:22 British Summer Time 4 July 2015
Chile 0-0 Argentina
Chile get us back under way. 15 more minutes for either side to find a winner or this is going to penalties.
HALF-TIMEpublished at 105 mins
Chile 0-0 Argentina
There are a lot of very tired legs out there now. And I'm sure every Argentina player is remembering what happened in Brazil at the World Cup final, when Germany scored in the second-half of extra-time to win the game.