This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
On Friday, June 28, 2019, reigning Copa America champions Chile secured their spot in the semi-finals with a thrilling 5-4 win over Colombia in a penalty shootout, following a 0-0 draw at the Corinthians arena.
Chile's victory sets up a semi-final showdown against either Uruguay or Peru in Porto Alegre on Wednesday. The other semi-final will feature hosts Brazil and Argentina.
Chile's experience in penalty shootouts proved decisive, having won two previous finals on penalties. As midfielder Charles Aranguiz noted, 'Our team is confident when it comes to penalties, we have won two finals on penalties. So that gives us energy.'
The match was marked by 35 fouls and several near-misses, including two goals chalked off by video assistant referee (VAR) reviews. Forward Arturo Vidal reflected on the experience, saying, 'It's difficult because you're going at 100 miles an hour and then they annul two goals, but we kept our heads and won it on the penalties. We deserved it.'
The kick-off was delayed by 20 minutes due to Chile's coach getting stuck in Sao Paulo's notorious traffic, leaving over 40,000 fans waiting.
