Chile breathed a sigh of relief and Bolivia were left fuming after a late, late penalty-kick decision decided their clash at Gillette Stadium on Friday night, dashing the losers' Copa America Centenario hopes – and preserving the winners' title defense for at least one more game.
With La Verde hanging on to a 1-1 draw for dear life as time ran down on a contentious match, fourth official Armando Villarreal indicated an estimated minimum of eight minutes of stoppage time, due in large part to a substantial delay because of Ronald Eguino's frightening head injury near the end of regulation.
Chile put that extra time to use when referee Jair Marrufo pointed to the spot after Alexis Sanchez's cross appeared to make contact with Luis Gutierrez's arm at close range in the Bolivian box. Despite vehement protests from Bolivia, Arturo Vidal stepped up the spot and stroked home his second goal of the night, eliminating La Verde from contention for the knockout stages.
Bolivia manager Julio Cesar Baldivieso angrily branded the 98th-minute PK call “a disgrace” and a “barbarity” in his postgame remarks, calling it “a penalty invented,” and also criticized the amount of injury time added to the match.
"It is outrageous for football,” said the former Bolivian international, who was already under heavy pressure before the tournament began. “We should ask ourselves if there is already a champion in the Cup. It's a shame.
“I will ask you to analyze the video and tell me where those eight minutes came from.”
Chile were the protagonists for most of the night, enjoying nearly 80 percent of possession as Bolivia often sat deep and defended bravely in a low block. But after substitute Jhasmnai Campos cancelled out Vidal's opening goal with a scintillating free-kick strike, it looked like the 2015 Copa America champions would be held to just a point – until the late drama.
“We were largely deserving of the win, although we lacked precision and intensity in the last instance,” said Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi, calling himself more relieved than satisfied with the result. “Obviously we have to improve some things, but we must continue to believe that we can impose our game.”
Stating that he did not see the replay of the controversial PK call, Pizzi said, “referee decisions are just that – failures, some in favor and others against."
Next Chile will duel Panama, a match that will decide which of the two teams advance to the knockout stages along with Group A leaders Argentina.
