SANTIAGO:
Chile goal hero Eduardo Vargas revealed he had been practicing long-range shots after scoring a 30-yard screamer to fire ‘La Roja’ into the Copa America final here Monday.
Vargas uncorked a contender for goal of the tournament in the 64th minute, surging forward from midfield and letting fly to send an unstoppable shot ripping past Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
“I’ve been practicing shooting from long range in training and doing quite well with them, so when I found myself in that position I had the confidence to shoot,” Vargas told Chilean television.
“I’m very happy that we’re in the final,” added the 25-year-old, who also scored Chile’s controversial opening goal in the first half to give his side the lead.
Vargas’s opener was lucky to stand; replays showed the striker had scored after being in an offside position when Alexis Sanchez played a teasing cross into the Peruvian box.
That decision was balanced out early in the second half when Vargas saw a superb volleyed goal wrongly ruled out for offside.
Vargas’s heroics come after a difficult season for the forward, who last year was loaned from Serie A outfit Napoli to struggling English Premier League side Queens Park Rangers.
Vargas endured a miserable season at Loftus Road as QPR slumped to relegation, finishing bottom of the table.
