The match got off to a lively start and Chile looked destined to take a sixth-minute lead as Alexis Sanchez played a defence-splitting pass to send Eduardo Vargas clean through, although the forward was unable to put the ball past the on-rushing Rui Patricio.
It was then Portugal’s turn to threaten as Cristiano Ronaldo played a brilliant ball across the area to find Andre Silva, but Claudio Bravo got across superbly to smother the danger.
The early stages of the half ultimately packed most of the punch in the opening 45 minutes as the sides eventually entered the half-time tunnel with the scores still deadlocked.
Chile came close to what would have been a sublime opener with 57 minutes gone as Vargas acrobatically produced an overhead kick from inside the area, only to see his effort turned away by the keeper.Portugal then broke up the other end and produced a great chance of their own as Ronaldo steamrolled his way into the area before letting fly, but he too was denied by some quick reactions from the keeper.
However, regulation time could not separate the sides, marking the first goalless draw at the Russia finals, with an additional 30 minutes needed to decide a winner. Sanchez came close in the early stages extra time but headed agonisingly wide from a pinpoint cross.
With just seconds to go until penalties, Chile were desperately unlucky not to snatch the winner as Arturo Vidal's shot crashed off the inside of the post before Rodriguez crashed the rebound off the crossbar. It was still to be the Chileans' night, though, as Claudio Bravo proved the hero in the shootout, saving all three of Portugal's spot-kicks as Chile eventually won 3-0 on penalties.
Chile reach the 2017 Fifa Confederations cup final which means a CONMEBOL nation has now reached the final in 8 of the 10 Confederations Cup tournaments.
Photo credit: fifa.com
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