Chile beat Argentina to win the Copa America 2016 on penalties

Match Report

Messi and Argentina's worst nightmare comes true, Chile win the Copa America again, on penalties again. A cruel case of history repeating condemns Argentina to runners-up yet again after a match that was marred by fouls, stoppages, injuries, cards and poor officiating. 

120 minutes weren't enough to separate the sides, Messi and Lucas Biglia missed from 12 yards to leave Argentina heading home empty-handed to face more criticism and recriminations. A golden generation yet to convert an abundance of talent into silverware.

Messi was in tears after the match, inconsolable after Argentina went into the final as favourites. That's now three finals in three years with zero trophies for the Barcelona star in the albiceleste jersey.

Chile conversely, will celebrate deep into the New Jersey night, they fought hard and battled their way to this second win in two years, the party is just starting for La Roja.

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Here's how it happened:

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Penalties

GOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooolllllllllll....   Chile win the Copa America 2016....

Silva: To win it...

Biglia: Claudio Bravo SAVES!!

Beausejour: Coolest man in New Jersey..  3-2

Aguero: Just! Low into the corner..   2-2

Aranguíz: Blasts Chile ahead.. 2-1

Mascherano: Buries it!

Castillo: Scores for Chile.. Great penalty high and left.

Messi: MISSES!  Blown over the bar...

Vidal: Saved!! Romero stops it down to his left, poor penalty..

Arturo Vidal will take Chile's 1st penalty..

Chile up first..

Second Half of Extra-Time

Min 120: The Copa America will once again be decided from the penalty spot..

Min 120: Chile in possession...  But that's it! End of extra-time..

Min 119: 2 mins to penalties.. 

Min 116: Argentina trying hardest to win it pinging crosses into the box, but Chile again hold firm, Kranevitter fancies his chances from outside the box but that flies into the MetLife sky.

Min 115: Hits the wall, flies over..

Min 114: Gary Medel stamping about looking for someone to choke after Argentina win a free-kick very much in Messi range.. Can he win it at the death?

Min 112: Messi again making it happen, lovely interchange with Aguero and Messi's through ball is cleared by a combination of sliding Chileans. Corner cleared.

Min 110: Good intervention from Romero, alert play clearing before the danger could materialise, Spurs man Erik Lamela is on for Ever Banega..

Min 108: Chile send on Nicolas Castillo for top-scorer Vargas, he'll end the tournament on 6 six goals, Messi is on five..

Min 106: 2nd half of extra time underway.. Chile have two solid banks of four facing Argentina on the attack, but the albicelestes simply aren't committing enough players forward, Banega turns and tries to cross low, but there's not a single teammate in the box.

First Half of Extra-Time

Min 105: Peep!! More chances in the first fifteen minutes of extra time than in the entire preceeding 90 mins..

Min 103: Alexis Sanchez is taken off, he was out on his feet, the only surprise is that he wasn't wheeled off... Francisco Silva to bring some fresh legs for La Roja.

Min 102: Argentina break out from the back, Banega loses it, Vargas smacks Funes Mori's back with a long-range drive. 

Min 100: Messi, the bearded man, whips a free kick that he had won onto Aguero's head, it flies towards the top corner but so does Claudio Bravo, clawing it out - that's a stunning save, best in the tournament so far..

Min 98: What a chance for Vargas, just couldn't get enough purchase on the diving header to take it past Romero.

Min 96: Messi again slips Aguero in, his shot is blocked by Jara and Kun rolls around for a while on the ground, then gets up with absolutely nothing wrong with him.

Min 94: Kranevitter sends Alexis Sanchez into space with a shoulder charge, yellow card, then Isla is caught with another wincing tackle down the back of his calf. Story of the match.

Min 92: Biglia catches Aranguiz with a nasty one, studs up that rip a hole in the Chilean's sock, luckily right on the shinguard. He'll be grand. 

Min 91: Chile kick off extra time by kicking it straight out of play. These could be 30 long minutes. 

End of 90 minutes: Argentina 0 -0 Chile

This one is heading to extra-time, and potentially penalties.. Each team gets one extra substitutuion over the next 30 mins..

Second-Half

Min 93: Nothing doing here, we're heading for 30 mins of extra-time, Alexis Sanchez falls to the ground, exhausted, the players are wrecked already..

Min 90: Uffff... Beausejour sets up Vargas after a brilliant Sanchez backheel, Argentina close the door, Messi speeds off on the counter but slashes the shot wild and wide at the crucial moment. 1 min added time left..

Min 88: Messi is the only one trying anything, the match has fallen flat as a punctured beach-ball, caution trumping risk. Banega blows one over the bar.

Min 86: Vidal all over Messi like a pitbull again, the no.10 still looks likeliest to inspire the moment that matters, but it's been a difficult game for the creators on both sides, particularly the first half..

Min 85: Kun!! No!! Messi finds Aguero for Argentina's best chance of the second-half, he skips past his sliding marker but hits a shot that will bother nothing but bats. 

Min 83: Chile in possession again, but going nowhere, it's almost like the extra space and the missing men have discouraged forward-minded attacking play, neither side wants to leave themselves open..  This looks to be heading to ET..

Min 80: Vargas gets Chile's best chance of the match, and it isn't a great one really, from a difficult wide angle, Romero deals with it without too much stress, then Everton defender Funes Mori has a panic attack and whacks it out of play unnecessarily..

Min 77: Mercado crashes into Sanchez like a Cessna with a misfiring engine, unintentional, but dangerous, a scissor kick around waist-height. He's up again. 

Min 75: Another unsuccessful corner from Chile, Argentina now in possession trying to pin Chile back, but impatience causes them to lose it again.

Min 73: Messi accelerates past one, two, four, lays off to Aguero who bashes it artlessy over the bar. There was a stripy shirt free at the back post too..

Min 70: The Copa America final 2016 is still deadlocked at 0-0, with 20 mins to play and both teams playing with ten men.

Min 68: Kun Aguero being readied, surely Higuain to come off, he's disappeared since missing the best chance in the match on 21'.  Yep, Higuain off..

Min 65: Chile carve out a chance with a rapid counter, but Vargas had strayed offside. Messi at the other end can't burrow through the Chilean ranks..

Min 63: Messi picks it up and tempts Vidal (on a yellow) to launch a challenge at him, carrying all the way to the byline, Vidal intelligently doesn't bite, the result is a corner, which is cleared.

Min 62: Seems to be loads of space, but neither team able to take advantage in crucial areas.

Min 60: Vidal controlling the midfield and setting the tempo now, the Bayern man is directing from the middle, spraying another lovely pass to the right, Vargas lays off for Isla, who's offside.

Min 58: Argentina on the front foot now, Messi dinks one for Higuain, but it's a Chilean head that clears for a corner.  Bravo gathers easily.

Min 55: Chile control again, and get a good shot off, Martino has seen enough and brings on a defensive midfielder, Atleti man Kranevitter, for Di Maria, who's fitness is definitely in question.

Min 53: Banega takes it ahead of Messi, it evntually falls to Noodle, who batters it high and wide again.

Min 52: Beausejour miscontrols a pass, Mercado touches it past him and tries to race after it but the Chilean halts his progress and gets the first yellow card of the 2nd half. Messi over the free, too far out for a shot..

Min 50: A much calmer beginning to the 2nd half, no wild challenges or heated moments.. Yet..  Chile keeping it better at the moment..

Min 48: Chile work it around the box but can't carve out anything, Messi doesn't release the counter either with close attention from Vidal again. Possession will be so important here, making the other team work key..

Min 46: Chile kick off the second half with both teams down to ten men, Chile in possession..

Half-Time talking points

With all the stoppages, fouls, cards and chaos, there's hardly any room left to talk about the football, and considering all the brilliant attacking talent on the field, that's a real shame. When Messi, Alexis Sanchez, Vargas, Di María et al get on the ball, good things have happened, but they've been completely overshadowed by a game turned nasty and a referee who has made things worse.

Higuain missed the best chance of the match, but now we have 10 v 10 for 45 minutes, which should surely free up space for more forward play. Let's hope there's more football to talk about on 90 minutes.  

First Half

Min 47: The ref blows for half-time and is surrounded by angry Argentines and furious Chileans, ugly scenes all round that he only has himself to blame for..

Min 46: Alexis runs one out of play, then there are more afters with Otamendi and Mascherano, nasty vibe not helped by an official who has added to irrationality to the heat of the battle.

Min 45: Tata Martino is calling for another card, this could end up 8-a-side..

Min 43: Ridiculous decision again from the referee, Rojo tackled from behind, but put a foot on the ball, totally unwarranted red card. 

Min 42: RED CARD FOR ARGENTINA!!   Marcus Rojo gets a straight red!

Min 40: Messi goes down, the referee doesn't blow for a penalty but gives him a yellow for diving! It's the wrong decision, no dive there..  The ref is trying far too hard to make this all about him.

Min 39: Every minute that passes at 0-0 is a tiny triumph for Chile.. 

Min 36: Referee Lopes sticks the head into Alexis Sanchez and threatens another Chilean, then turns around and smiles. Vidal falls over Mascherano and there's a bit of afters, then another yellow for both Mascherano and Arturo Vidal.

Min 35: Bravo already taking a long time over his goal-kicks.

Min 32: Argentina slowing the pace and controling the tempo now, they have plenty of time. Di María whips one in for Biglia, cleared, then Rojo misunderstands his teammates intentions, next Di Maria tries an audacious volley from the left. All Argentina..

Min 29: Messi was running full tilt again, Díaz stepped across him, then turned his back and let the Argentine smash into him. He's walked, leaving his team with a long night ahead, Argentina were already creating the better chances..

Min 28: RED CARD FOR CHILE!! Another challenge by Marcelo Díaz on Messi, and he gets his second yellow..  

Min 25: Pizzi going crazy on the sidelines, slamming a water bottle into the ground, the ref has a word..

Min 23: Messi cut down by Vidal this time, Otamendi on the end of the free at the corner of the six-yard box, but his header nestles in the side-net. Argentina getting closer..

Min 21: Surely!! Gary Medel gifts it to Gonzalo Higuain, who races clear on goal, he tries to dink it over Bravo, Medel steams back trying to make up for his error and smashes into the post..   Higuain should have scored.. 

Min 19: Messi conjures some chaos in the Chilean box, such quick movement of feet and ball, it falls to Di Maria who holds on a little too long and skies a poor effort.

Min 17: Messi's Barça teammate Claudio Bravo has seen this one before, he scoots over to the side behind the wall and collects comfortably.

Min 16: Now that yellow is out, Marcelo Díaz chops down a Messi nearing full-flight, fair decision..  Free kick in Messi territory.. He lines it up...

Min 14: Ref Heber Lopes finally thinks about handing out a yellow after another heavy challenge, this time Banega the culprit, just a stern warning from the referee as Chile gain territory, but Argentina force the goal kick.

Min 12: Vargas down holding his ankle this time, stop-start at the moment, more huff and guff than tiki or taka..

Min 9: Aranguíz back on the pitch after he need treatment for being smacked in the face by a Messi effort..  And that was just a cross..

Min 7: First little glimpse of Messi tricking his way towards the Chilean box, he lays it off for Di Maria who gets chopped down again..   Fast and furious opening with some tree-felling challenges flying in..  The free comes to nothing.

Min 4: Owwwww....  Alexis Sanchez gets stood on by Otamendi, his ankle turns backwards, and  the Brazilian ref gives a free against him..  Baffling..  Luckily he gets up..

Min 3: Funes Mori lays down an early marker on tournament top-scorer Eduardo Vargas, free-kick Chile..

Min 1: It takes Argentina 16 seconds to put one in the chamber, Ever Banega fires low and it whisks past the post.

Min 1: Argentina kick off playing from right to left in their iconic blue and white stripes, Chile in bright red..

Anthems: Once again it looks like they've botched the anthems in the U.S. of A. ...  Argentina's rousing number blasted out without problem, but Chile's went on much longer than the band played..  The Chileans soldiered on a cappella...

The big team news for Argentina is that Di María is back to play the final, Spurs man Lamela is on the bench, as is Sergio Aguero who can't in the starting side. Chile welcome back Arturo Vidal who will hope to do a similar job on Messi that he did last year... 

Teams

Preview

Hostilities will be renewed between these two sides after last year's victory for Chile in this competition. In this centenary tournament, back home it feels like a hundred years since Argentina have won a tournament, in reality it's been 23. Having lost in the World Cup final to Germany and to Chile in the most recent edition of the Copa America, Argentina are desperate for this golden generation to lift some silverware.

All eyes will be on Barcelona star Lionel Messi, the star that shines brightest for the albiceleste, Messi exploded at AFA for their poor organisation and general incompetence, giving an image of an Argentine squad battling more than just their opponents on the pitch. The man tasked with stopping him will again be Vidal, in what will be the crucial individual duel of the encounter.

Messi has scored 5 goals already in this competition, but Chile's man of the moment Eduardo Vargas has scored 6. Chile surf a wave of optimism into this final having destroyed Mexico 7-0 in the quarters and beaten a decent Colombia side 2-0 in the semis.

Tata Martino's team hope to have Ángel di María back also, but Juan Antonio Pizzi will be confident his side can beat Argentina and retain the title. The two sides have, however, already faced each other in the tournament with Argentina coming out victorious 2-1.

In Messi's own words, Argentina "have to win, whatever it takes”, and Diego Maradona has warned the team "don't bother coming back if you don't win the cup"..

Prediction

Argentina to win in extra-time.

Odds

 Argentina are odds-on with BWIN:

€1 pays out €1.40 for an Argentina win, while €1 will win you €2.80 on Chile.

What time does the Copa América final, Chile - Argentina match start?

The final of the Centenary Copa América sees Chile take on Argentina at the Metlife stadium in East Rutherford (New Jersey) on June 26 at 8pm local time (02:00 Monday 27 June CEST).

The kick-off time wherever you are in the world.

If you want to look back on how the group games went you can check them out here:Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D.

Where can I watch Chile - Argentina?

No matter where you are on the planet, you can see what channel the Chile - Argentina game is available on here.

As a guide for our readers in certain selected countries, here's a quick summary of channels where the Copa América is being shown:

Chile: Canal 13, DIRECTV Play Deportes, DIRECTV Sports Chile

Argentina: TyC Sports Argentina, Canal 7 TV Publica, TyC Sports Interior, TyC Sports Play, DIRECTV Play Deportes, DIRECTV Sports Argentina

United States: Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO, Univision USA, fuboTV, Univision Deportes USA, Fox Sports 1 USA, Futbol de Primera Radio

Spain: Movistar TV Fútbol, Canal+ Fútbol / HD

United Kingdom: Premier Sports

Find out more about times and watching on the internet here.