THAT WILL DO IT! Chile advance to the semi-finals! Uruguay out!
90' +8
Chile take advantage of a poor clearance, and Vidal is primed to strike from just inside the area. However, Muslera is well off his line and shows great reflexes to tip that around the post!
90' +7
Bravo claims a cross with confidence at his back post amidst a sea of bodies, and punts it down to the other end. Seconds remain now, as we've gone well past the allotted four minutes of added time, as well as the extra minutes added on for the brawl.
90' +6
A long ball finds Rodriguez and Hernandez chasing down the centre-backs, and the former brings it down, but can't keep a hold of possession. Sanchez is then caught offside, and Muslera has a chance to pump it back into the area from a free-kick.
90' +4
Finally, we restart the game after a delay of over five minutes. Chile just have to be professional in the closing stages, and they're not letting Uruguay get a sniff of the ball here.
90' +2
The players are finally starting to filter back to their correct positions as Fucile departs the pitch. He sits fuming on the bench. The referee just wants to get the remainder of this game over with you feel.
90'
Tabarez and Sampaoli were both on the pitch involved in that ruckus. Fucile was absolutely furious in the immediate aftermath of that card. To be honest, the ref could take his pick of other players to send off after that melee! A lot of pushing and shoving.
88'
J. Fucile gets a second yellow card and is sent off.
FUCILE SENT OFF! URUGUAY DOWN TO NINE! It has all blown up here in the dying minutes. A bench-clearing brawl on the pitch after that card was shown. The full-back was already booked for a challenge on Vargas in the first half, and he went in late on Sanchez from behind - even though he got the ball first. The referee deems it too reckless and books him again!
86'
Valdivia departs to a standing ovation from everyone inside Estadio Nacional after a virtuoso display. Seriously, the sheer number of chances he created, the consistency with which he threaded the needle with the perfect pass, was astounding. On comes Pizarro for the final stretch.
85'
D. Pizarro enters the game and replaces J. Valdivia.
J. Rodríguez enters the game and replaces C. Sánchez.
The introduction of Fernandez has helped Chile make use of their man advantage. It was hard enough to stop Valdivia in the first half, but just when he began to fade, Sampaoli added a second playmaker to test the resolve of Uruguay even further. And my word, did it work!
Minute
Description
84'
M. Pinilla gets yellow.
83'
This place is rocking from root to tip. Valdivia and Isla have combined countless times in this game, and finally, they manage the breakthrough. Uruguay have no other option. They have to throw everything forward. Garra Charrua at the other end of the pitch. Pinilla has been booked for a tough tackle.
81'
M. Isla has scored a goal for Chile! Assist by J. Valdivia.
ISLA HAS DONE IT! CHILE LEAD! The full-back has been fantastic in attack all game, and he comes up with the most decisive blow of them all! A cross is punched by Muslera to the top of the box and Valdivia gobbles up the scraps, taking control before laying off for Isla to hammer a lovely strike into the bottom corner from the top of the D!
80'
CHILE THREATEN! Mati Fernandez hooks a wonderful corner into the six-yard area, but it bounces menacingly in the box before going out over the far side! How was that not met by any one of the crowd of players in there? Still time for a winner, on either end.
79'
A long throw is cleared only to the top of the box, and it drops kindly for Rodriguez on the bounce. Left in space, he hits it on the volley but blasts it over. His reaction tells you that he knows as well as anyone that he's better than that! Another Uruguay chance goes begging.
78'
CARLOS SANCHEZ! Nearly a strike to silence this crowd! Rodriguez finds him with a lovely bouncing ball, and he hits it on the volley from all of 30 yards. It swerves, it dips, but in the end, Bravo can watch it flash past his right-hand post! So close for Uruguay!
76'
MAGIC FROM VALDIVIA! He strides into space and plays an ingenious pass goalside of Fucile for Isla to chase on the overlap. The full-back's square finds Sanchez in space, but he takes a touch inside the box instead of shooting first-time, and that takes him too far away from goal!
74'
Valdivia plays the ball into Pinilla, who lays it back to him. On the run, the Palmeiras man keeps it alive with some great mid-air control, squaring to Vidal on the left. However, the Juventus midfielder's volley is dug into the turf and is an easy save for Muslera to make.
72'
Double substitution from Sampaoli, as Diaz is replaced by Fernandez, who has seen his place in the side under threat since his red card in the group stages. Eduardo Vargas is also pulled as Pinilla comes on to add more of a physical presence up front for La Roja.
71'
M. Pinilla enters the game and replaces E. Vargas.
M. Fernández enters the game and replaces M. Díaz.
70'
Valdivia hasn't been much of a factor in this half, and he plays a pass too far behind Vidal. Rather amusingly, it runs through to an incredulous Sampaoli on the touchline, and the Chile coach gives his players an earful. They have a huge opportunity to seal a place in the final four.
68'
The players come together again after a challenge on Sanchez by Pereira. The Arsenal man leads the clamours for a booking, and the referee obliges with a yellow for the Uruguay full-back.
67'
M. Pereira gets yellow.
I've just seen the replay of the Cavani incident, and I'm sorry, but Jara sold that to the ref. He started the tussle with Cavani with an unseen tap, and the striker falls into the trap, responding with a flock of his hand. Jara went down rather easily, and the referee appeared to see only the second part of that incident. He'll be suspended for the semi-finals too, should La Celeste make it that far.
65'
This clash has been simmering all game between two teams that refuse to surrender an inch. Now, it's boiled over. It would be hard to imagine 10-man Uruguay not playing for penalties now with about 25 minutes left. We shall see how Tabarez's team restructure in the next few minutes.
63'
G. Jara gets yellow.
E. Cavani gets a second yellow card and is sent off.
CAVANI HAS BEEN SENT OFF! Uruguay's task just got that much harder. The PSG strike picks up a second yellow card for a little slap out at Jara, to add to his initial booking for arguing with the fourth official. He's bemused at first, but that gives way to anger as he has to be restrained by his teammates!
61'
Vidal rises imperiously at the far post to get on the end of a looping cross, but he can't cut it back for Vargas, or seriously test Muslera, who smothers with ease at the post. It's so admirable how hard Uruguay are working now - it takes some doing to out-hustle La Roja.
59'
Diego Rolan has been pulled for Abel Hernandez, who instantly makes his presence know with a good combination with Sanchez down the middle. The striker has the ball 25 yards out, but he can't pick out a runner inside the box. Some turnaround in this half!
58'
A. Hernández enters the game and replaces D. Rolán.
57'
The crowd are still chanting in large sections, but there's a few cracks of frustration appearing in some elongated reactions when a Chile move breaks down. Tabarez will definitely be the happier manager in the second half. Can his team put it together in attack now?
55'
Uruguay are looking more accomplished defensively, with Chile starting to snatch a little at their half-chances. Remember, this game will go straight to penalties if it's level at the end of 90 minutes - NO EXTRA TIME. That is sure to increase the drama if it stays level.
53'
URUGUAY COME CLOSE! A free-kick is dealt with poorly by Chile, and Rolan stabs it towards goal from not more than eight yards out, but it's right down the throat of Bravo! A little to the left or right and that would have been 1-0! Uruguay can't waste those kind of openings, however opportunistic it was.
51'
CAVANI! What an effort from the forward, who dips a volley inches over the bar from all of 35 yards! He's barely been a factor in this tournament, but if he should come alive in the knockout stages, all will be forgiven.
49'
Chile start the second half on the front foot as Sanchez and Vidal both try to break through, with the latter cutting in from the right to sting Muslera's palms with a long-range strike. Good play from the Uruguay keeper to keep a hold of that one and set his team down at the other end with his release.
47'
The second half is finally back in action after an unexplained delay for Uruguay coming out of the dressing rooms. Vidal is back with us, but with his knee strapped, how long will he last in this period?
46'
We're off again!
45' +1
Vidal is down and in pain and will get looked at on the touchline. Meanwhile, here's a tasty tactic that tells the story of this first half - Chile have completed 265 passes so far. Uruguay, by contrast, have managed only 43. Fair reflection of what I've seen.
44'
Decent spell of pressure from Uruguay channeled through a few set pieces, but they're unable to make anything count. That last free-kick deflected off the defence, and Chile were able to clear, nearly sparking a counter through the feet of VIdal.
43'
M. Isla gets yellow.
42'
Uruguay's only respite from Chile pressure seems to be an occasional corner win, but Bravo is commanding this defence well, and they're dealing with all the high balls. However, Isla slides in late and recklessly on Carlos Sanchez, gets booked and concedes a dangerous free-kick.
40'
J. Fucile gets yellow.
The yellow card is flashed again, as Fucile is the offender. Vargas released the ball before the full-back clattered into him. Perhaps a tad harsh from the referee again, who has let stronger challenges go in this game.
38'
Uruguay win a corner in what's a rare sighting in the final third for them. The ball is curled in menacingly, but Bravo sticks up a paw to punch clear with some confidence. Such a relief for such an attacking side to have an experienced and talented custodian between the posts.
36'
Vidal strides down the middle and unleashes a 25-yard effort that's tight at Musleram but too hot to handle. The keeper parries it straight up into the air, but La Roja can't profit from the rebound. I'd call that a decent enough save at the end of the day. Another shooting chance for Chile though.
34'
Sanchez attacks down the left-hand side, cutting onto his trusty right foot and attempting to bend one into the far corner, but misses the target comfortably in the end. Pereira needs help down that side to contain the hosts, but Uruguay are so stretched in other areas!
32'
Sanchez hasn't gotten much space so far to get on the end of chances, and Aranguiz's delivery is a little too far away from an ideal shooting position for him to attack. Still, another instance where Chile found the space to create an opportunity.
30'
Uruguay haven't sustained an attacking spell since the opening minutes. Chile continue to apply pressure, and they don't seem like running out of energy any time soon (do they ever?).
29'
E. Cavani gets yellow.
28'
BOOKING AGAINST CAVANI! The striker has mainly been used in a defensive role, and he gets pulled up for another late challenge, and he argues the call with the linesman, which causes the referee to reach into his pocket and produce the yellow card.
26'
VALDIVIA LEADING THE WAY AGAIN! He's in that kind of mood tonight. Isla again puts in worn down the right, working the ball centrally for the Palmeiras playmaker, who helps it through to Aranguiz. The midfielder takes a shot on the turn, but can't beat Muslera, who smothers!
24'
The referee tells the players to calm down, but decides against taking any further action. Probably wise, as it was nothing more than a bit of handbags between the teams. Again, not the first time that it'll happen today.
23'
Carlos Sanchez narrowly misses the target with a well-hit volley, before Chile are back down at the other end. Gimenez shepherds Vargas away from the ball, but there's still a collision between the forward and Muslera. Gimenez and Vargas come together, and there's a bit of a ruckus for the referee to sort.
21'
Chile breach the right flank once again. Valdivia hooks a lovely ball for Isla on the overlap, and he's a hair onside. However, his attempt to hook the ball into the mixer is just half a foot over the byline.
19'
First yellow card of the game, and it goes to the one man who I've mentioned so far probably more than anyone else combined. Valdivia tries to prevent a Uruguay break, but is a little late with his challenge. Perhaps a tad harsh by the referee, but he's laying down a marker.
18'
J. Valdivia gets yellow.
17'
Chile once again pull a fast one in the final third. Isla plays the ball into Valdivia, who shapes to return the ball to the full-back, but instead sprays it in the opposite direction for Vargas. Gimenez flattens him to win the ball, but the referee deems it a legal challenge.
15'
Sanchez and Vidal have starred for Chile at this tournament, but that was hardly a bold prediction heading into the Copa. However, Valdivia has been reborn at the tip of the Chilean midfield. Everything runs through the enigmatic playmaker, who already looks capable of deciding this game in the opening exchanges. Arevalo, the Uruguayan destroyer, can't keep a hold of him!
13'
Chile really starting to lay the smack down. Uruguay are camped around their own defensive third as La Roja fly at them from all angles. The passes are so sharp and quick, and there's the movement to match!
11'
VALDIVIA DROPPING JAWS! I could watch this guy all day. With one touch and one deadly move, he takes a ball on the turn, sews a defender shut and has acres to gallop into. He tries to thread the ball in for Vargas, but a deflection off a defender's legs ends that chance.
9'
Islla and Valdivia combine to set up Vargas for a speculative volley which goes off target, but Chile had Uruguay on the ropes with the sheer speed of their build-up. Moments later, Cavani crunches into Valdivia with a late-ish challenge. Not the first, and definitely not the last.
7'
Electric atmosphere inside this ground, as is always the case when Chile play. There was some disconnect between the fans and the players earlier in the tournament, but now, it appears that it's all water under the bridge. This is what you would call a 12th man.
5'
Uruguay are trying to break through Chile with some quick one-touch passes in the final third, but so far, the back four for Sampaoli is reading the danger well. We haven't seen much in attack from the tournament hosts as they bide their time and play defensively.
3'
Some pressure down in the Chile end to start the game, and Bravo has to stride off his line to deny Rolan a shot on the turn. Good start for the men in sky blue, but they must be careful not to commit too many numbers forward - we have seen what La Roja can do when given space to run!
1'
Off we go!
Hello and welcome to our love coverage of the Copa America quarter-final between Chile and Uruguay. We've had a few days off from Copa action and I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get right back into it. Tonight, in Santiago, the tournament hosts take on the defending champions. I'm Keeghann Sinanan, your designated scribe for all the action from Estadio Nacional.
Uruguay, meanwhile, had a somewhat tougher time to qualify. Oscar Tabarez's men collected only four points from Group B and scored just twice, but it was still enough for them to sneak into the last eight as one of the best third-placed teams. They edged Jamaica 1-0 before falling to Argentina by the same scoreline. A 2-2 draw with Paraguay on the final day was enough for them to progress. After winning the Copa four years ago, their task looks a little tougher this time around.
No team has won more than Uruguay's 15 titles, with La Celeste looking to be only the fourth side to retain the title since 1991, with Brazil doing it on two separate occasions along with Argentina.
Chile have played all three of their games at Estadio Nacional, and the way the draw has worked out, they will continue here right until the final on July 4 - if they play their cards right. Jorge Sampaoli's team opened the tourney with a 2-0 win over Ecuador, battled to a 3-3 draw with Mexico before thrashing Bolivia 5-0 in the biggest victory of the Copa so far. They've seemingly put the Arturo Vidal drink-driving incident behind them and are one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
Uruguay have beaten Chile 43 times in their histoy, with La Roja not able to manage more than 17 wins in reply. Thel ast six games between the pair, however, have been evenly split with either team winning, drawing and losing twice. In fact, the last time that La Roja beat La Celeste in this tourney was 32 years ago - at this stadium to boot - a 2-0 win in the group stages.
The winner of this tie will square off against whoever emerges from Peru v Bolivia in Temuco tomorrow evening. Argentina v Colomba and Brazil v Paraguay are the other two quarter-finals. Chile and Uruguay will be relieved then, that most of the other heavyweights will be doing battle on the other side of the knockout-stage bracket.
Only one change for Jorge Sampaoi following the 5-0 win over Bolivia, with Jean Beausejour leaving the XI for Eugenio Mena. Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas will lead the line, with Jorge Valdivia popping in just behind. Expect to see lots of attacking positions adopted by Arturo Vidal and Charles Aranguiz - with the latter on target twice last time out.
Edinson Cavani will start for Uruguay, despite speculation surrounding his departure from the competition after his father was arrested for a fatal drunk-driving incident. He partners Diego Rolan in attack, while Cristian Rodriguez's goal against Jamaica is enough to see him replace Abel Hernandez and start on the left side of midfield. Diego Godin returns from suspension to spell Sebastian Coates in defence, but Alvaro Pereira is banned and will miss out.
That will do it for the first half, and it's scoreless at the break. The tournament hosts have been all over the defending champions, with Valdivia in particular looking in the mood to make a difference. However, Muslera and Co. have held firm. Garra charrua has been enough to keep La Roja at bay it seems. Will that endure for the second half? Stay tuned to find out.
What a spectacle this was in the Chilean capital! Uruguay survived a Chile onslaught in the first half, and began to strut their stuff after the break. However, Cavani's dismissal was the beginning of the end, and Valdivia, my pick for man of the match, set up Isla for the winner in the final 10 minutes. Fucile was then sent off late on for a second booking, sparking a melee on the touchline as frustration boiled over. Chile through, to face Peru or Bolivia, and Uruguay's title defence is over.
That's all from me, Keeghann Sinanan here, signing off and wishing you all the best!
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