Chile knocks out Uruguay to enter Copa America semifinal

Santiago: Chile sent nine-man Uruguay crashing out of the Copa America on Wednesday, winning a bruising quarter-final 1-0 as controversy over lurid provocation tactics rocked the tournament.
An 81st-minute strike from Juventus defender Mauricio Isla settled a pulsating encounter at Santiago’s Estadio Nacional as holders Uruguay saw striker Edinson Cavani and defender Jorge Fucile sent off.

Fucile’s dismissal for a second yellow card in the closing minutes triggered a mass confrontation involving players and officials from both sides, with even Uruguay’s veteran coach Oscar Tabarez coming onto the pitch. But the post-match commotion focused around the dismissal of Cavani, who flicked a hand into the face of Chile defender Gonzalo Jara after a clash midway through the second half.

Camera footage of the moments leading up to the flashpoint, however, appeared to show Jara attempting to insert his finger into Cavani’s anus, prompting the Uruguay player’s reaction. Tabarez later defended the actions of the Paris Saint-Germain striker, arguing he had been provoked. “You can see what happened. The referee has not seen it, but the linesman had to be able to see it from his position.”

It is not the first time Jara has been involved in controversy. In 2013, Luis Suarez punched the defender after the Chilean reportedly grabbed the Uruguay striker’s genitals during a World Cup qualifier. Tabarez said the dismissal of Cavani, when the match was at 0-0, turned the tide. It was a miserable end to the tournament for Cavani, who had been booked in the first half for aggressively confronting a linesman after a tackle involving Chile’s Arturo Vidal.

Uruguay had appeared to be on their way to taking the game to a penalty shoot-out with a superb defensive performance. But as the match entered the final 10 minutes, Chile pounced on goalkeeper Fernando Muslera’s failure to clear a cross. Jorge Valdivia slipped a pass to Isla, who drilled it in to spark celebrations.