Chile vs. Argentina: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Copa America Final

Chile beat Argentina on penalties in the final of the 2015 Copa America, lifting the trophy in front of their own fans in Santiago for the first time in the nation's history. After 120 minutes, the score was still 0-0, and the hosts would eventually go on to win the penalty shootout 4-1. 

Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega both missed their spot kicks, the latter saved by Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who became the big hero for his team. The two sides served up an entertaining first half but couldn't keep up the incredible pace, and a penalty shootout seemed inevitable midway through the second half. 

As one might expect, the atmosphere was truly something special with Chile playing in front of their own fans. Football Radar's Jack Rathborn couldn't wait for the first whistle:

Squawka shared this fantastic image:

The match started with both teams looking to take control of the midfield areas, and as a result, that meant plenty of physical battles. The Chileans love turning matches into true tests of character, and Argentina were certainly game on Saturday.

The hosts committed to playing forward at all times and put pressure on the favoured Argentinians. While that resulted in plenty of possession in dangerous areas, Chile couldn't immediately find chances.

Meanwhile, the battle in midfield continued, and beIN Sports USA's Andres Cordero couldn't believe how long it took for the first card to fall:

Chile's Arturo Vidal tested Sergio Romero with a tricky strike from long range, while Javier Pastore and Lionel Messi linked up well, just failing to play in Sergio Aguero. The pace of the match was furious, but in the early stages, the goalkeepers didn't have much work to do.

Bravo's first stop came at the near post, after a free kick took a deflection and nearly landed in the net.

Sportskeeda admired the Barcelona stopper's save, although they probably enjoyed Ray Hudson's commentary just as much:

The Albiceleste then took a big hit, as Angel Di Maria pulled up after a sprint and appeared to tweak his hamstring. The Manchester United star couldn't continue, and he was replaced by Paris Saint-Germain's Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Aguero too needed treatment after a rough tackle, as Chile started to play more aggressively. Gary Medel joined in on the party, taking out Messi with a crunching tackle that appeared to be aimed at his stomach. The Dirty Tackle's Brooks Peck was not impressed:

There was time for one more big chance, courtesy of Lavezzi, who found Bravo in his path after some great work by Pastore. At half-time, the score was 0-0, a minor miracle given the pace and intensity of the first half.

One player who failed to leave his mark on the first half was Alexis Sanchez. The Arsenal forward had endured an incredibly heavy work load in 2014-15, and it was clear he was simply exhausted on Saturday. 

Chile certainly weren't scared of Argentina, but the team struggled completing the final pass. Lavezzi's final chance of the first half was a clear warning the Albiceleste could find space on the counter-attack, an ominous sign for the hosts. 

Early in the second half, Argentina dug in even deeper, and most of the play took place around their box. Chile dominated, but once again, chances were few, save for a header from Vidal. The Buenos Aires Herald's Daniel Edwards noted Chile's fast start:

But as the half went on, the Chilean pressure loosened. Afraid to give up a goal on the counter, they too sat back, dropping the pace of the match drastically. Per ESPN's Miguel Delaney, the game's entertainment value also fell:

A barrage of substitutions further drained the tempo of the match, and with 15 minutes left on the clock, the final of the 2015 Copa America seemed destined for extra time. 

Chile tried to increase the pressure a bit in the final 10 minutes, but the Argentinian defence remained focused, giving up no space inside the box. Sanchez tried his luck with an acrobatic volley and came close to scoring, but he couldn't make solid contact and saw his effort go wide.

BeIN Sports' Matteo Bonetti thought it would have been one of the goals of his career had the ball gone in:

Lavezzi answered by scoring from an offside position, which the linesman spotted without much trouble. Marcos Rojo then proceeded to take a tumble in the box, but the official wasn't fooled, and rightly so, per Rathborn:

In the very last minute of injury time, Messi went on a fantastic run before finding Lavezzi, who in turn teed up Higuain beautifully. The Napoli man had the winner on his boot, but his sliding effort found the side netting. Seconds later, the final whistle blew. The match was headed for extra time.

FourFourTwo's Adam Digby had a bit of fun at the Argentina striker's expense:

The opening stages of extra time passed without much incident, as both teams were cautious moving forward. Sanchez found Marcelo Diaz, who curled a shot high and wide to provide the first real threat of the first half. 

According to bet365, Messi passed a not-so-pleasant milestone during the first half of extra time as well:

Sanchez tried his luck after a long run, but he too failed to put his shot on target, ending the first period of extra time. And predictably, both teams dug in deeper for the second, playing not to lose instead of to win. Lavezzi tried to claim another penalty and Chile had a few wild shots on goal, but it was clear both teams were exhausted and playing for penalties.

The first three penalties found the back of the net before Higuain missed horribly. Just Football noted he simply doesn't do well in big moments:

Banega's effort was saved, and Sanchez chipped his penalty home to hand Chile the win.

Talking to reporters ahead of the match, Bravo made it clear his team weren't favourites, but they're used to that, via the Guardian's Jonathan Wilson:

"

History tells us we have never been favourites but our energy and enthusiasm doesn’t depend on whether we are favourites. We’re not playing to be the best team in history. We’re playing to give a title to Chile, and where better than at home?

"

The goalkeeper would end up being the hero for Chile. The hosts showed more aggression than Argentina and ultimately deserved this win.

It's the first major trophy in the country's long and rich history, and with one of the most talented sides in football, they should continue to contend for silverware in the near future. 

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