Copa America 2020 Group C: Vidal Winner Clinches Five-Goal Match against Venezuela

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020.

Vidal Winner Clinches Five-Goal Match against Venezuela

June 25, 2020

Chile 3 Venezuela 2

 

Arturo Vidal scored Chile’s third goal against Venezuela in a match of high intensity to clinch three points.

 

Salomon Rondón started for Venezuela, while Chile started Alexis Sánchez for Carlos Palacios. Gary Medel also needed time on the bench after a poor performance the previous match, and a niggle from training.

 

It was Rondón, though, who hit the woodwork in the early stages, nearly opening the tale for Venezuela. Chile countered and Ben Brereton nearly scored, chipping the Venezuelan goalkeeper but missing the goals.

 

Instead, Eduardo Vargas scored with his head, knocking the ball back across the face of goal from where the cross came, and the goalkeeper had no hope.

 

Rondón nearly equalised in the first passage of play after the goal, giving the Chileans a real fright. He repeated the effort, only this time he did not miss, but Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo dived and kept the ball out of the top right-hand corner.

 

Down the Chilean end, Eric Pulgar hit the post, but the rebound led to a goal for Charles Aránguiz, who shot low and true into the back of the net.

 

Sánchez tried making it three goals before the break, only to not overcome the goalkeeper.

 

After the break, the match seemed like petering into a 2-0 scoreline, only for Rondón to have other ideas as he led onto a quick through ball after it was stolen and chipped Bravo with ease.

 

The match now 2-1, and set for the final half-hour of angst, Junior Moreno nearly scored as he slid onto a through ball, only to have Bravo keep his shot adrift. From the corner, substitute Jefferson Savarino, with his first touch, headed the equaliser in the 64th minute out of reach of Bravo.

 

Rondón nearly gave Venezuela the lead, only for Bravo to fall on the ball in time. Instead, Chilean Arturo Vidal scored, easing his way through the Venezuelan defence, giving his side back the lead.

 

Cristian Cásseres had a chance late to level the match, though he was backtracking just to get his head on the ball and therefore could not get decent purchase.

 

Chile finally had their first three points, and a chance to reach the top of the group in their next match, against Argentina.

 

	Group C	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Argentina	2	2	0	0	6	+3
2	Chile	2	1	1	0	4	+1
3	Bermuda	2	0	1	1	1	-1
4	Venezuela	2	0	0	2	0	-3