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Chile through to Copa America semifinals

June 25, 2015

Chile have booked their spot in the 2015 Copa America final four after a solitary goal from Mauricio Isla saw them beat Uruguay. Uruguay had two men sent off in a ill-tempered game.

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Fussball Chile gegen Uruguay
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Ruiz

Defending champions Uruguay are out of the Copa America after a quarterfinal defeat to tournament hosts Chile. Mauricio Isla's long-distance shot ten minutes from time after a poor clearance from Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera was the difference in a game where neither side impressed.

Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani was sent off for a second bookable offence 17 minutes into the second half. Defender Jorge Fucile was also shown a second yellow card late in the game, after which, the Uruguayan players lost their tempers, shoved the linesman and came close to blows with some of the Chilean players. Head coach Oscar Tabarez joined in the protest and the game was held up for several minutes until order was restored.

Cavani's dismissal looked particularly harsh as he responded relatively mildly to inappropriate provocation from Chile's Gonzala Jara, who appeared to stick his fingers up the striker's bottom. "With the sending off of Cavani there is also photographic evidence that showed what happened and the provocation (from Jara). I submit to the TV images and photographs. That's where the truth lies," said Tabarez afterwards.

Tabarez also denied Cavani's dismissal had anything to do with the player's state of mind after hearing on Tuesday that his father had been arrested in Uruguay for his role in a fatal car crash. "I think today he (Cavani) was where he should have been," Tabarez said. "His red card had nothing to do with what happened the day before."

Without star player Luis Suarez - who is still serving his ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during last year's World Cup - Uruguay were dogged in defense but limp in attack. Chile remain on track to win their first ever major title and will face the winner of the Thursday clash between Bolivia and Peru.

jh/apc (dpa, Reuters)