Copa America 2015: Day 1 Takeaways

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 12, 2015

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The 2015 Copa America got underway on Thursday, as hosts Chile got their tournament off to the perfect start with a 2-0 victory over Ecuador in Santiago.

Jorge Sampaoli's side started the game in breathtakingly adventurous fashion, threatening to overwhelm their opponents early on with the speed and inventiveness of some of their attacking moves. But an opening goal that initially looked inevitable somehow continued to elude them for the entirety of the first half. And as the game wore on the visitors became more settled and gradually more threatening on the counter-attack.

By the hour mark it looked like the expectant fans inside the Estadio Nacional would leave the ground disappointed, as Chile's attacking threat started to diminish, and Ecuador grew in confidence.

But then the referee awarded a soft penalty to the home side after a dubious foul right on the edge of the box, a gift of an opportunity that Arturo Vidal, the man who won it, emphatically converted.



With the lead now secured—and the pressure off to some extent—Chile began to play with the same sort of rhythm they had shown early in the first half. And with just under 10 minutes to go, substitute Eduardo Vargas secured his side's Group A win with a lovely, calm finish after an exquisite through ball from the night's outstanding performer, Alexis Sanchez.

Here are a couple of takeaways from the tournament's opening match.

 

1. Sampaoli had to tweak things to cover cracks and get the win



The three points was the main thing for Chile on opening night—such occasions almost never seem to be easy for the hosts, who are often inhibited by the pressure and expectation thrust upon them—but for Sampaoli there was still a lot to chew over.



After a stunning start to the game, he saw his side slowly devolve into a predictable, unbalanced ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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