Alexis takes Chile into Copa America quarter-finals with winner vs Ecuador

Salvador —  Chile on Friday got the ticket to the quarter-finals of the Copa America tournament with a 2-1 win against Ecuador thanks to a decisive goal by Alexis Sanchez, a result that left the Ecuadorians at the bottom of the Group C table.

Meanwhile, Chile moved to the top of the group standings.

The Andean nation’s upcoming match against Uruguay next Monday will determine who will move into the quarters as the highest-ranked team, while Ecuador’s slim chances hinge on defeating Japan and hoping for a string of outcomes to advance as one of the top third-placed teams.

It was a hard-fought duel for Chile, who sealed the win with Alexis’ goal at the start of the second half. Earlier in the first half, Jose Pedro Fuenzalida opened the scoring for the Chileans but the Ecuadorians drew with a converted penalty by Enner Valencia.

The game began with a brisk rhythm and intensity but with the passage of time, it became a tedious and dull affair with constant interruptions.

Fuenzalida struck very early for the Chileans, smashing a loose ball from the edge of the area into the far bottom corner of the goalpost.

The initially defensive stance of the Ecuadorians, who labored to get into the game, ended when Chilean goalkeeper Gabriel Arias committed a penalty that Valencia then converted to equal the score.

The rest of the first half had an extremely slow pace with constant interruptions, whether on account of fouls, injuries or VAR consultations.

Alexis, Chile’s all-time top scorer, came to his team’s rescue in the second half when Charles Aranguiz hit a cross from the right and the unmarked forward drove the ball home.

The goal injected fresh energy into Chile, who remained in control for the remainder of the game but missed a third goal opportunity off a header by Erick Pulgar.

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