It’s difficult to remember the last time a national soccer team completed a Cinderella run by winning a major tournament. That’s exactly what Chile did when they beat Argentina 4-1 on penalties to clinch the 2015 Copa America trophy on home soil this past weekend.
There is no doubt that the biggest loser from this event was Gonzalo Higuain and there is also no doubt that Chile was the biggest winner from this year’s tournament. However, they aren’t the only side that benefited from their performance this year. Let’s look at the four biggest winners from the 2015 Copa America.
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Chile
While they didn’t get the same credit as teams like Argentina and Brazil heading in to the tournament, there is no doubt that by the time they were crowned champions, it was Chile being talked about the most. Their aggressive attacking style and creativity in the offensive third was an absolute thrill to watch and players like Gary Medel, Mauricio Isla and Eduardo Vargas all stepped up with impressive performances along with Claudio Bravo, Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal to lead the way to a Copa America title. The summer transfer window is about to open up in many leagues and a number of these midfielders improved their stock.
The other teams on this list deserve their due but there is no doubt the biggest winner of this competition is Chile after they won their first Copa America championship on home soil in Santiago.
Peru
Chile won the tournament but they aren’t the only Cinderella team that made a deep run. Peru also came out of nowhere and impressed, finishing in third place for the second successive tournament. Many people assumed last time was a fluke and that they wouldn’t make it out of their group, which housed Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. They didn’t have the same firepower as some of the other teams in the competition but Jefferson Farfan and Paolo Guerrero were an absolute thrill to watch leading Peru’s explosive attack with Guerrero in particular tying for the most goals in the tournament with four. Ultimately, the dream of a Copa America title was just beyond their grasp as they lost to Chile in the semifinals. However, they did manage to take a 2-0 result from Paraguay in the third-place game to end on a high not. This was a major showcase for Peru and the majority of their country will be proud of another third-place finish.
Bolivia
Nearly 20 years ago, Bolivia nearly shocked the soccer world when it went all the way to the final of the 1997 Copa America before settling for a runner-up finish. However, they followed up that memorable run by going 18 straight years without even a single win. That victory drought ended with a 3-2 win over Ecuador in their second group game with a three-goal first-half that set their nation on fire with enthusiasm. Four points in the group stage sent Bolivia through to the knockout round on foreign soil for the first time since 1995. That’s where their run ended as they went on to lose to Peru, but there is no doubt this year’s performance has to be considered a success for Bolivia. Nobody was expecting a quarter-finals berth for this team.
Colombia
Colombia might not have made it past the 2015 Copa America quarterfinals but they had a very valiant effort. They were the first to show that Argentina was vulnerable, nearly upsetting them before losing 5-4 in penalties. There is every reason for the nation to be proud about how they were able to hang with the Albiceleste for 120 minutes before nearly knocking them out in the shootout. David Ospina allowed just one goal in four matches and the team in front of him fought to the very end to prove they can hang with the big boys. They are back on the map and this type of performance could springboard them to a better result the next time around.
