Border rivals Chile and Bolivia played out a tight, ill-tempered Copa America showdown at Gillette Stadium on Friday night, one that looked set for a 1-1 draw only to be plunged into controversy when referee Jair Marrufo awarded Chile a contentious penalty kick on a handball call deep in injury time.
After an extended period of angry remonstration by the underdog Bolivians, Arturo Vidal kept his cool from the spot to net his second goal of the night, rescuing La Roja from a potentially disastrous draw with their Andean rivals.
Chile demolished Bolivia 5-0 when they met in last year's edition of this event, and they looked to be in control when Vidal rifled home a cutback cross from Alexis Sanchez near the midway point for a deserved lead.
Yet Jhasmani Campos drew La Verde level on the hour mark with one of the most jaw-dropping goals of the tournament, whipping a left-footed free-kick missile into the far top corner of Claudio Bravo's goal from long range. That wonderstrike looked to have secured a precious point for Bolivia, who did their best to kill off the remainder of the game, but with eight minutes of added time, they were undone by Marrufo's last-gasp call.
Box Score
- 46’ – CHI – Arturo Vidal (Mauricio Pinilla, Alexis Sánchez)
- 61' – BOL – Jhasmani Campos
- 90'+10' – CHI – Arturo Vidal (PK)
- Full box score
- Stats
Three Things
1. DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA: This game percolated at a low boil for long periods as Chile probed and Bolivia bunkered. But it exploded into anger and argument deep into the lengthy period of added time necessitated by a scary-looking sequence when Ronald Eguino was kicked in the head as Eduardo Vargas attempted an overhead kick. La Verde were certain that they'd ridden out the storm and earned a draw, but were infuriated when Marrufo pointed to the spot for a handball after Luis Gutierrez's elbow floated into the path of a Sanchez cross. It was a brave call, and it broke Bolivian hearts.
2. JHASMANI GOLAZO: Bolivia's Copa will end at the group stage, yet Campos lit up the tournament with a truly amazing blast that will be long remembered by anyone watching on Friday. Hit with power, bend and accuracy, his free kick was more than good enough to beat any goalkeeper on earth, and deserves to go viral regardless of the final score.
We'll be talking about this goal from Jhasmani Campos for a long time... #CHIvBOL#MyCopaColorshttps://t.co/WkKi5q9s2D
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2016
3. VIDAL DELIVERS: Bayern Munich standout Arturo Vidal might be Chile's most prominent export at the moment, and after a relatively understated performance in their first game, he stepped up in a time of need. Not only did he net both goals, he also ranged around the midfield to good effect as La Roja dominated the center of the park nearly all night.
Next Up
- CHI: Tuesday, June 14 vs. Panama (8 pm ET; FS1, UniMás, UDN)
- BOL: Tuesday, June 14 vs. Argentina (10 pm ET; FS1, UniMás, UDN)
