Chile peg Portugal back after Varela strike
Saturday, March 26, 2011
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Portugal 1-1 Chile
Silvestre Varela's first international goal was not enough to earn Paulo Bento's side a friendly victory against Chile.
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Portugal 1-1 Chile
Silvestre Varela marked his third appearance for Portugal with his first international goal, but it was not enough to earn Paulo Bento's team a friendly victory against Chile in Leiria.
The hosts were quickly able to pose problems and went close when visiting goalkeeper Claudio Bravo had to scramble a deflected João Moutinho effort wide. The danger was not over, however, and from the resulting corner Portugal took a 16th-minute lead. Covering for the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, FC Porto winger Varela crowned his first international start in style, nodding in from close range after Pablo Contreras had headed on Nani's delivery.
Jean Beausejour almost levelled on 38 minutes and Chile did eventually equalise before the break, when Matías Fernández's long-range free-kick beat his Sporting Clube de Portugal team-mate Rui Patrício in the Portugal goal. The keeper showed his class by denying Gonzalo Jara from close range after the restart, and Portugal threatened a winner of their own when Rolando missed the target with a header from substitute Ricardo Quaresma's cross.