Argentina 4 Chile 1

Argentina took full advantage of a weak referee to hand Chile a heavy defeat at the River Plate stadium.

Byron Moreno of Ecuador was far too naive for this level of the game and allowed the full range of Argentinian black arts to be used in this game as their players dived about all over the pitch and sent in some vicious tackles.

Ariel Ortega was involved in early controversy which set up the first goal for his side with little that resembled football.

He dived to set up a free kick chance that Gabriel Batistuta sent flying into the net after curling the ball around the wall in the 10th minute.

Chile managed to equalise in the 29th minute when Tello hit a dipping free kick on target but the home side got their advantage back four minutes later when Juan Sebastian Veron waited for the ball to be cleared to him on the edge of the area after a frantic melee in the Chile goal mouth. He avoided a ruck of players with his shot to hit the net.

Ivan Zamorano failed to convert two early second half chances and from that point Argentina dominated.

A great through pass from Marcelo Salas sent him through on goal but the Inter man skied his shot on the run and Ortega dived to get another penalty shortly after.

Claudio Lopez ended the scroing in the 88th minute when Batistuta found him with a cross and the Valencia player lifted the ball over goalkeeper Marcelo Ramirez.