URUGUAY are back in Copa America action this evening against Chile.
TV channel: BBC Red Button
Live stream FREE: BBC iPlayer
Uruguay XI: Muslera, Vina, Gimenez, Godin, Gonzalez, De La Cruz, Vecino, Valverde, De Arrascaete, Cavani, Suarez.
Chile XI: Bravo, Medel, Maripan, Sierralta, Isla, Vidal, Pulgar, Mena, Aranguiz, Brereton, Vargas.
Follow ALL the latest with our live blog below…
CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: GET £10 FREE BONUS WITH NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED
MATCH REPORT
NOTHING to separate these two sides who both put in solid performances to secure a hard-earned point apiece in the Cuiaba heat.
Chile’s experienced forward Eduardo Vargas scored his 39th international goal in 96 appearances following a slick team move that was started by Arturo Vidal and assisted by Ben Brereton.
Credit: AFP
The goal was a thunderbolt struck across the face of Fernando Muslera’s goal, giving the experienced goalkeeper absolutely no chance and giving Chile the lead against the run of play in the first half.
Uruguay’s iconic strike partnership of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani never really hit their stride, despite Suarez finding a scrappy equaliser from a Facundo Torres corner.
Despite conceding Suarez’s 66th minute equaliser, Chile defended superbly and remained compact and organised, as well as threatening to punish Uruguay’s high line whenever they were able to counter-attack.
However, after injuries to Guillermo Maripan, Arturo Vidal and Eduardo Vargas, Chile’s attacking threat was instantly stifled and the mission quickly became to not concede again as Uruguay grew in to the game late on.
Credit: Getty
A draw was ultimately a fair result for both sides, although a frustrated Uruguay will be disappointed not to have turned their superiority into goals to secure their first win of the tournament.
Credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH
Chile’s experienced playmaker Charles Aranguiz has been awarded the Man of the Match award following his excellent display at the heart of the Chile midfield.
FT: URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
STATE OF PLAY
Chile will ultimately be happy with a point to consolidate their position atop the table in Group A and will hope Paraguay can get at least a point against Argentina to ensure they stay top.
Uruguay will be disappointed not to secure three points having had the better chances and more possession, but will be pleased to have their first point on the board nonetheless, having now played the toughest two teams in Group A.
Uruguay will hope that they can get better results against Bolivia and Paraguay to ensure they progress to the next round and give themselves a chance of adding to their 15 Copa America titles.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
FULL TIME!
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
Raphael Claus blows his whistle and a frustrated Uruguay are held by Chile, who remained compact and dug deep when Uruguay came at them towards the end and looked like potentially getting a winner.
It’s a point apiece in Cuiaba and it’s all hugs and smiles at the end as both sets of players head towards the tunnel.
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
90+4. Nandez almost breaks into the box on the right hand side but Chile do enough to put him off and the ball runs out of play.
Nandez lets out a cry of frustration. That was the final chance…
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
90+2. Uruguay have a corner and if it’s going to happen, it really needs to be now…
Torres’ ball from the left is aimed towards Suarez but is dealt with well and cleared by Chile.
The ball is launched back into the Chilean box but the referee deems Godin has committed a foul inside the box and Claudio Bravo takes his time in taking the resulting free-kick.
Credit: Reuters
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
89. CHANCE! Luis Suarez resorts to another long-range shot as Uruguay struggle to get through the Chilean low-block and in fairness, it’s not far off.
It bends towards goal but goes comfortably past the post and Bravo is immediately up and commanding his defence to close down quicker.
Credit: AFP
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
87. Any real Chilean attacking threat seems to have disappeared now and the mission is simply – do not lose.
Uruguay are giving it all they’ve got and are probing well, but Chile are well organised and are proving hard to break down.
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
84. CHANCE! A lovely ball is whipped in from the left and Cavani leaps to meet it but can’t direct his header goalward. It was slightly too high for him, but Uruguay waste no time in continuing their siege on the Chilean goal.
Lots of crosses coming into the box now and Cavani will be hoping he can start getting on the end of them.
Credit: AFP
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
83: SUBSTITUTION: Erick Pulgar has gone down twice in as many minutes, giving the players a chance to have a quick drinks break, but Luis Suarez seems keen to get the play going away and tries to encourage Pulgar off the pitch, to the displeasure of the other Chile players.
Pulgar is eventually withdrawn for Jonathan Rodriguez.
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
81. SUBSTITUTION. It’s the Arsenal outcast Lucas Torreira coming on for Matias Vecino in a straight swap in the centre of midfield.
Vecino has done an excellent job breaking up the play and linking the Uruguay attack and defence and Tabarez will hope Torreira will be able to have a similar impact and his fresh legs can help Uruguay claim those all important three points.
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
80. CHANCE! Chile break on the left and the ball comes in. It’s knocked down but Chilean debutant Luciano Arriagada can’t get his effort on target and it bounces past the post, though in fairness Muslera was charging out at him at some speed.
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
76. Another speculative long-range effort, this time from Chile’s number 9 Jean Meneses.
Muslera looks unworried by the effort and collect the ball for a goal kick.
Both sides are pressing very high and leaving themselves exposed at the back, resulting in some open, free-flowing football from both sides.
This promises to be an entertaining end to a highly entertaining game!
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
73. A free-kick taken from wide left for Uruguay is floated in and Diego Godin climbs above everyone to get his head on it. It goes comfortably over the bar but Godin shows that despite his 35 years, he’s still very much able to have an impact in both boxes.
Credit: Reuters
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
71. Uruguay are attacking with more intent now, although Chile still look dangerous on the break. Vecino is doing well to break up the play for Uruguay and stop Chile from counter-attacking effectively.
This one could go either way and with 20 minutes still on the clock plus stoppage time, both sides will be pushing for the winner.
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
69. SUBSTITUTION: Speaking of substitutes, Arturo Vidal looks to have been hurt in the goalmouth scramble in which Suarez poked the ball past Bravo for the equaliser and has been withdrawn as a result.
Ben Brereton is also taken off, with Luciano Arriagada and Tomas Alarcon coming on.
URUGUAY 1-1 CHILE
67. The goal came from a corner that was earned by a good save from Claudio Bravo from a powerful Facundo Torres shot from the edge of the box.
Torres then took the resulting corner from which the goal was scored. The substitutes are definitely having an impact!
GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!
URUGUAY ARE LEVEL!
It’s that man Luis Suarez with a true poacher’s finish. The corner from Torres gets flicked on by a Vecino header in the box and finds Suarez lurking at the back post to poke it in. 1-1!
Credit: Reuters
URUGUAY 0-1 CHILE
65. It’s been a very scrappy one so far, with each side committing 11 fouls apiece. Only two yellow cards though, with the referee allowing the game to flow nicely.
URUGUAY 0-1 CHILE
62. This is turning into some pretty end to end stuff, with both sides aiming to punish the other on the counter attack, with the tempo of the game rising as the urgency for a Uruguay equaliser becomes more apparent.
As such, Vecino lets fly from long-range and it’s way, way over. This has certainly not been a masterclass in shooting from distance.
Credit: Reuters
URUGUAY 0-1 CHILE
58. The substitute Nahitan Nandez is making an impact on the right hand-side by putting some pressure on the Uruguayan left-flank. The attack comes to nothing, but encouraging signs for Uruguay, who need to show more intent.
Chile break and Brereton finds himself on the edge of the area and sets himself to shoot, following some good work from Vidal.
His shot goes wide, but it was a decent effort and again demonstrates Chile’s ability to punish Uruguay on the counter-attack if they can hit the target.
Credit: Reuters
URUGUAY 0-1 CHILE
56. SUBSTITUTION. Vargas is feeling his hamstring and grimacing as if to say he knows he cannot continue.
Lasarte obliges by replacing him with Jean Meneses, leaving Brereton as the solitary number 9 with Meneses playing an attacking supporting role in behind him.
Vargas would almost certainly be applauded off by Chilean fans, were there any present, for his wonderful goal which gave his side the lead.
URUGUAY 0-1 CHILE
53. Uruguay are committing so many men forward when they attack and are leaving themselves very vulnerable at the back in doing so.
Chile manage to dispossess La Celeste in their penalty area and send the ball up the pitch into the Uruguay half, where it’s three on two.
It comes to nothing, but should come as a warning to Uruguay not to leave so much space for the pacy Chilean wing-backs.
Credit: Reuters
URUGUAY 0-1 CHILE
52. Arturo Vidal takes a leaf out of Cavani’s book and sends a long-range effort well over the bar.
Bar Vargas’ excellent finish for the goal, the finishing on display so far has been poor, which you would not expect of two teams with such pedigree – particularly Uruguay.
URUGUAY 0-1 CHILE
50. Another wild left-footed volley from Cavani, this time from the edge of the area. He clearly couldn’t find his shooting boots at half time because that attempt was even worse than the first one.
Load more entries… More
