Copa America 2015: Monday's Day 5 Takeaways
If the Copa America had not quite hit the heights in terms of entertainment over the past four days, Day 5 was about to blow any misconceptions of disappointment out of the water.
The second round of matches on show in Group A brought 11 goals and thrills aplenty, as the chase for the quarter-finals intensified.
Bolivia and Ecuador might not have sounded especially glamorous, but the two teams provided a superb starter ahead of the main course of Chile vs. Mexico.
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Here are our takeaways from Day 5 in Chile.
1. Goalkeeper Romel Quinonez makes the grade for Bolivia
Summer tournament football will always bring a number of fresh names and faces to the fore, and the 2015 Copa America will be no different.
One man who certainly made waves on Monday was Bolivia goalkeeper Romel Quinonez.
The 22-year-old was in breathtaking form as his plethora of saves helped El Verde complete a memorable 3-2 triumph over Ecuador.
Top of the lot, of course, was the Club Bolivia goalkeeper's penalty stop from Enner Valencia before the end of the first period that preserved his country's three-goal lead.
Quinonez then found himself on the end of a string of saves in the second half as Ecuador chased down the deficit.
The fact Quinonez did concede twice during a second 45 minutes as La Tri pressurised throughout should not discount a hugely impressive display.
Forget the first-half goals of Ronald Raldes, Martin Smedberg-Dalence and Marcelo Martins Moreno's penalty, the young goalkeeper was the major reason Bolivia ended an 18-year wait for a Copa America victory.
Quinonez was quoted by Reuters (via Yahoo News India) as saying:
"Our objective was to finally win a Copa America match after so long. We haven't qualified, but this is a big step forward we have taken, and we're very happy."
On the basis of his heroics in Valparaiso, don't be surprised to see Quinonez's name linked elsewhere in the very near future.
2. Ecuador pay the penalty for dismal first-half performance
Fingers will point to Valencia's 43rd-minute penalty miss as the reason for Ecuador being on the brink of a Copa America exit.
But it was their disjointed performance in the opening 45 minutes that should shoulder the blame.
Ranked lower than the limited footballing nations of Iraq and Angola, Bolivia should have been comfortably despatched by a La Tri team stationed 58 places above them in the latest FIFA rankings.
However, from the moment the experienced Raldes headed home the fifth-minute opener, Ecuador were lost.
Whatever head coach Gustavo Quinteros said to his players at half-time clearly had the desired effect, and the result proved to be a complete turnaround from the first 45 minutes.
The 3-2 defeat is likely to see Ecuador suffer an early exit from the tournament, but maintaining the level of display shown after going three down when they line up against Mexico in the final group game will now be the least expected from the fans.
3. Easy sits the Chile crown on King Arturo Vidal's head
Alexis Sanchez might be considered the star name in the Chile squad, but Arturo Vidal will surely share top billing from now on, particularly after his exceptional display in the 3-3 draw with Mexico.
The Juventus midfielder has been the driving force in the Serie A team's drive for the domestic double and the Champions League final this season.
But it was the manner of his all-round desire to keep on winning with Chile on Monday that ensured the 28-year-old overtook Alexis as the main figure of praise against El Tri.
In short, Vidal was simply magnificent. He clawed his nation back into the game immediately after Mexico stole a 20th-minute lead against the run of play and was the heartbeat of the Chile team throughout. Daniel Edwards noted Vidal's significant team contribution:
When he wasn't heading home crucial goals, he was harrying and creating from central midfield, while also providing an outlet for his defence when they felt the heat from Miguel Herrera's team.
Vidal appeared to have won the game after winning and scoring the 55th-minute penalty to make it 3-2 to the host nation.
But it was his all-encompassing role throughout the 90 minutes that shone brightest for the Chileans. Maintaining that will be the key factor in the hosts winning the 2015 trophy.
4. Copa America 2015 finds its footing
Well, nobody can say the Copa America is not delivering on its pre-tournament promise.
Did you doubt taking that monthly subscription out as the first round of group matches offered up precious little entertainment—we won't mention any names here, but we know who the guilty parties are.
Day 5, however, really was something else and hopefully represents the tournament's turning point.
Consider the fightback Ecuador almost staged in the opening game, when the situation seemed lost, as they faced a 3-0 deficit against Bolivia. Journalist Juan Cruz Messina provided highlights:
The grim determination it took just to get the game back to 3-2 deserved credit, although it was the aforementioned Quinonez who proved to be the ultimate difference.
And then the roller-coaster affair in Santiago, which saw Chile and Mexico share the goals, the points and, maybe most importantly to the viewing public, the plaudits. The Twitter feed thoden.it provided highlights:
The bar has now been set for the rest of the tournament. Sit back and enjoy.
