Santiago, July 5: Hosts Chile won the Copa America title for the first time here Saturday when a cheeky penalty from Alexis Sanchez clinched a shootout victory over Argentina and glory for the golden generation in front of their own fans.
The two sides were deadlocked 0-0 after 90 minutes and when another 30 minutes of extra time failed to produce a goal, the contest was destined to be decided by penalties.
Lionel Messi stepped up to score Argentina’s first spot kick but, as the first three Chileans converted unerringly, Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega missed Argentina’s next two spot kick.
That left the stage set for forward Sanchez, who made up for a quiet game by dinking the ball into Sergio Romero’s net to send the capacity crowd at Santiago’s National Stadium into raptures.
Chile had beaten Argentina just once in 38 competitive matches before the final and were outsiders to take the trophy for the first time in the 99-year history of the tournament. Few sides were able to handle their fast-paced football, however, and they won four of their five games on their way to the deciding match, scoring 13 goals and delighting their home fans. Reuters
