Alexis Sanchez scored the winning penalty for Chile as they overcame Argentina on penalties to secure their first ever Copa America success.
The Arsenal man dinked a cheeky ‘Panenka’ effort to seal a 4-1 shootout victory after a fraught and tense game had ended 0-0 after 120 minutes.
The victory for the hosts sent the Santiago crowd wild as they celebrated the end of a 99-year wait for the trophy.
The heartbreak for Lionel Messi and Argentina adds to last summer’s defeat in the World Cup final and extends their winless run in international tournaments to 22-years.
Alexis was at the centre of much of Chile’s best play, displaying his usual hustle and bustle both on and off the ball. The striker dragged a volley just wide as his side went for victory during normal time and lashed over in extra-time after beating former Barcelona team-mate Javier Mascherano.
After Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega missed their penalties for Argentina, the Gunners player of the year calmly stepped up and clipped his effort straight down the middle. He whipped his shirt off and the celebrations began.
After an incredibly long domestic and international season (he’s played something like 76 games in 15 months) Alexis will now have four weeks off. What a year for the man!
Congratulations to him and Chile…good things come to those who wait.
You beauty!
Still enough energy to sprint two circles before the other players caught him!
I like how he seemed like he had no idea where to go, so he just kept running in circles <3
raymond domenech is a legend.
he just called man u a small club, which is no different to tottenham
What a wanker, can’t score penalties in an AFC shirt.
Alexis out…of my heart and into my pants.
Time for a good rest please.
Alexis, rest? Hahahahahahahaah
Does the duracell bunny rest?
Naturally, after this Alexis may not want to play any football, until Tuesday.
Is party boy Chilean? Ha, never knew..
Roughly when can we expect to see him in an Arsenal shirt again? How long does it usually take to get match fit after 4 weeks off?
Not until September I guess, you usually need 3-4 weeks for building fitness.
Gotta be cruel when he shows up at London Colney but being asked to leave tomorrow.
*Gonna be*
For Alexis? Probably about half an hour…:-)
I reckon he’ll be running around around punishing premier league teams in about 6 week’s, I personally would wait till about September
Plus Alexis will escape the Mertsacker sportman post-success meltdown syndrom.
A winning panenka against Argentina which ends the Nation’s 99-year wait…I hope Cudicini is impressed.
I have no idea why people criticize this type of penalty. It’s just like a change-up in baseball; the intentions are to throw the opponent off with a change of pace. If a batter in baseball is sitting on the change-up then they usually smash it so it’s a risky but beautiful pitch. I love it when Cazorla, Pirlo et al. unleash the Panenka. Not sure I’d have the guts to try it so fair play. What I think is worse is that stupid stutter step that Ronaldo and Balotelli used a lot. I think that one is much meaner… Read more »
Interesting, thank you for that.
who gives a fuck about baseball and hockey.
we luv you alexis!!
Just allow yourself to be educated for once.
He is. https://twitter.com/Capitancarloc/status/617751095524368384
(Didn’t expect him to reply though)
Alexis: now please stop running and take a break.. 😀
Wow that penalty was ballsy!
He is now gonna run 30 marathons in 30 days to stay fresh for new season with the champions elect.
If you’re reading this Alexis, have an enjoyable 4 weeks, with plenty of take aways, lads night out and sex. Then come back and work your arse off, on your way to a league and FA Cup/Cl double
Sex is too tiring. Sorry. I say we cryogenically freeze him. But only if we have the technology to wake him back up. I’m not sure :s
Hmm, it’s true. I hate sex :p
10 th !
Copa load of this
Does your daddy know you’re using his computer?
Congrats to Chile, they fully deserved their victory, best team of the tournament. So happy for Alexis, what a season he’s had. Vidal and Bravo as well. Chile have some superb players, Valdivia and Aranguiz were really impressive, as were Vargas and Medel. As for the Argies, defensively sound but all that attacking talent just being wasted as they all seem to cower and defer to Messi even though Di Maria, Aguero, Tevez and Pastore are all world class in their own right. As for Higuain, what a bottler (so glad Napoli took him off our hands) and why did… Read more »
Did Messi get player of the tournament?.Bit like Hazzard getting player of the season!.
I’m not much into national teams but I’m happy for Chile. It’s especially poignant that this greatest moment in their footballing history took place in the stadium that in 1973 was used by the fascist Pinochet regime as a concentration camp. Thousands of his political opponents were herded into it to await execution by the death squads. There’s a small block in one of the stands that has been sectioned off and kept empty ever since in commemoration.
The bulk of those Argentinian team, including Messi, still got like 2 world cups and a copa to go. So, who knows… Yeah, that Tata sub of Aguero for Higuain is a head scratcher. He is either superstitious or a gambler because he did that throughout the tournament. I don’t remember Aguero completing a game.
That we missed out on Higuain is such a blessing in disguise. At the end of the same transfer window we signed Mesut Özil from the same club. Would that have happened if we did sign Higuain? I’m not so sure.
Giroud would have kept him out of the team 🙂
May be Higuan was sent by Christiano Ronaldo to help reduce Messi’s pace of collections this year..He was bollocks..but what is important is that Alexis-the prince earned the show.
Felicidades you sexy beast of a man <3
I think he has been playing too deep to be effective since the turn of the year for club n country. When he played the furthest forward at the start of the season he was unstoppable. When he started playing from midfield the crowded him out and denied him space or time on the ball which affected his game for a while. He needs to stay in or around the box n try to stretch the defence by running in behind.He is capable of scoring 40 plus goals if he is more efficient. We need to curb his enthusiasm just… Read more »
Congrats to Alexis and Chile on winning the Copa America!
Now please have a good rest so that you can come back fresh for the new season.
Please stop taking your shirt off, it’s just not gentlemanly to embarras your fellow man like that, old boy.
He won the FA cup for Arsenal and then Copa America for Chile in 2015……..
He will win EPL for Arsenal and UCL for Arsenal in 2016……..
Come on Alexis we love you
Don’t wanna sound greed but…What about the hattrick of successive FA-Cups in 2016?
What a season he’s had…. immense…. he’s better than Neymar……
Well done him. Now get some rest and get the fuck back here (a) in one piece and (b) without any trace of Mertesacker syndrome. We’ve a Premier League title to win.
What.
A.
Fucking.
Man.
Alexis Sanchez wins trophies during off season. What a player!
Dear Alexis My Dear Boy It’s : Time to feel the sun on your back in an exotic destination ( I’d recommend Pueto Rico, Belize or Cuba , don’t go to Dubai as its full of footballers) Time to eat sausages with chilli sauce Time to switch off your Duracel batteries (put to recharge) Time to take your ” bros” to Vegas and see some fabulous shows Time to pick a girl and have lovely sexual relations ( summertime and the living is easy ) Time to dance sing and laugh with close friends and family, forget about football Time… Read more »
What an imaginative comment!
It better than the ordinary banal input ( no disrespect)
Shame others ticked it down
Alexis is our national hero…we want good things for him, as stated here
From ; A Chilean living in London, knowing Alexis need the sun ( it’s winter back home)
peace
Don’t know why you got thumbs down on this Maddolove?
Must be a pisser after all that typing! 🙂
Is 4 weeks off enough? The man is a machine and his dedication inspiring
Looks like he only needs a couple of weeks rest the way he ran at the end.
I hope the rest of the Arsenal team step up to cover for his absence until he returns.
What a fucking terrific bloke
We are all Chieans today.
Alex is a legend
He just reminds me of Thierry Henry in making me feel good watching how he plays. I hope Barcelona or some other rich fools won’t table a luring bid to Wenger for him. He is our best asset right now and we better use him good.
The BBC were looking for comments before the final, asking who had impressed you, and given a chance, would you buy for your club.
All I could think was: ‘we’ve already got him’.
I think we could find room for that Messi fellow I keep hearing about as well 🙂
We can fix messi besides the coq’
Yeah, Wenger out!
🙂
Absolutely loved the penalty and the celebration. I was worried as he had missed some but he stepped up! He had a good game too
Glad that he won the cup
PS: did anyone listen to the Chilean national anthem sung by the crowd? Electrifying atmosphere
Brilliant home support
2014: World Cup
2015: Copa América
2016: Copa América Centenario
2017: Confederations Cup
2018: World Cup (likely)
2019: Copa América
Alexis just can’t get a proper summer break, can he?
Fucking shits all over Messi –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52VUl1ExvjI
Buried the cheekies
penalties to win the trophy for his side….. I just love it.
Well deserved, he had an awesome first year at Arsenal and Chile was the most consistent team in Copa America, congratulations to him and Chile for this
same here. He should be given 5/6 weeks off. If he comes back earlier, i fear a 3 month injury lay off like ozil.
Fantastic news for Chile! Alexis is a true Galactico for both his nation and our club. How much must he be worth now?
Who cares, we’re not selling him!
Well in today’s market, where run of the mill shit players like sterling and Kane go for 50m plus, and in an alien world where benteke is worth 40m then he’s worth about 180 million to us. He will enjoy many more great years with us.
Whoever asks, he’s worth one dollar more than you’ve got.
Things Alexis Sanchez loves to do:
1. Perform at superfootballer standards on the international stage.
2. Never stop running, ever, ever.
3. Score thunderbolt goals in Arsenal kit.
4. Take his shirt off at any opportunity of celebration.
5. Post pics in his skivvies to instagram.
Scoring the winning penalty in such fashion…..immense…..what a player….better than Neymar…… ozil & alexis where it’s at….
Time to prove we’re not a one man team by winning our matches during Sanchez’ rest.
I’m hard.
Happy to see Demichelis, Zabaletta, Aguero, Di Maria, Rojo and Lamella totally gutted.
Sad we will be without our player of the season against the chavs in the Charity Shield. I’d love another 25 yard pile driver at Wembley putting Courtois on his butt and shaking his head in wonder. But knowing Alexis Sanchez he will be properly refreshed and at top power as soon as is humanly possible.
I want him to be on a beach somewhere relaxing until the middle of August. Somewhere he doesn’t even have to lift a finger except to move the umbrella in his drink. Well deserved rest
I don’t think Alexis thinks he needs a rest…maybe restinf might prove detrimental to his form. The guys is absolutely energetic…all those circles he ran. ENERGETIC CHILEAN BLOKE…ECB
I wonder if Alexis has any idea how much love Arsenal fans have for him…..it is truly bonkers.
A gr8 way to end the season and winning the copa america final well done alexis sanchez the physical ness shows after the goal celebration.
Ozils first season fa cup and World Cup Sanchez s first season fa cup and copa America what will Cech be looking forward too ???
I hope Wenger has been out courting other great players like he did with Alexis. Shame he wasn’t commentating at the Copa America, where he could tell Messi his favourite anecdote about us almost signing him. Come on Lionel, Alexis won the Copa America just after signing for us, it could work for you.
Looking forward to watching Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray and the battle of the two left feet. Hopefully the Skunk’s falls off.
In my opinion, we need a better song for Alexis. A song that makes a crazy atmosphere! One that would send chills down his spine. Because thats what he does to me when i watch him play.
He stood stil abit and then slotted the penalty with ease..But as soon as it went in he gathered energy to run back to the Emirates pitch.
Alexis should replace Bould on the 2nd teir manager as he has the hunger for winning….