Arturo Vidal scored a controversial penalty deep into injury time as holders Chile snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bolivia to keep their Copa America Centenario campaign alive on Friday.
Bayern Munich star Vidal struck from the spot in the 10th minute of time added on after a hugely debatable penalty was awarded against Bolivian defender Luis Gutierrez for handball by US referee Jair Marrufo.
Television replays showed Gutierrez had his right arm behind his back to avoid conceding a handball but Alexis Sanchez’s cross struck him on the shoulder and Marrufo pointed to the spot after the apparent intervention of the linesman.
Bolivia’s players surrounded the referee for angry protests but Marrufo’s decision stood and it was left to Vidal to drive home the penalty. The result gives Chile hope of reaching the last eight following their opening defeat to Argentina in Group D.
Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi brushed off questions about his team’s fortuitous penalty award, insisting that they had deserved to win. “We more than deserved to win the game,” Pizzi said. “The game didn’t go quite as we planned, but we were worthy winners. Sometimes decisions go for you, sometimes against you. They balance out. But we deserved to win.”
Vidal, meanwhile, admitted he doubted whether the penalty should have been given but claimed it was compensation. “They missed a clear handball earlier in the game, so it balanced things,” the midfielder said.
Bolivia coach Julio Cesar Baldivieso decried the spot-kick as a “disgrace” and also questioned how match officials had determined that more than eight minutes of added time should be played. “It’s a disgrace what they’ve done,” he fumed.
“It really hurts to lose that way. I’d ask you to analyse the video and tell me where those eight minutes of injury time came from,” the coach added.
Earlier, a stunning 61st-minute free-kick from Kuwait-based playmaker Jhasmani Campos appeared to have grabbed a share of the points for Bolivia at Gillette Stadium after Vidal had given Chile the lead just after half-time. Bolivia, beaten by Panama in their first match, have zero points from two games.
It looked like being a frustrating evening at Foxborough for the Chileans, who dominated possession and territory but were unable to make their advantage count until the referee’s late intervention.
After a scrappy first half, Chile looked to have taken a decisive breakthrough immediately after the restart with Vidal’s goal. Arsenal star Sanchez dispossessed Juan Carols Arce just outside the Bolivia area and fed Mauricio Pinilla. Pinilla looked up and squared for Vidal who swept in an emphatic finish to make it 1-0 on 46 minutes.
Yet Bolivia got back on level terms after Chile conceded a free-kick from around 25 metres, slightly out to the right. There appeared to be little danger but Campos stepped up and produced a spectacular long-range strike which curled late before dipping into the top corner beyond the fingertips of Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.
Results
Chile 2 (Vidal 46, 90+10-pen) beat Bolivia 1 (Campos 61)
Argentina 5 (Otamendi 7, Messi 68, 78, 87, Aguero 90) beat Panama 0