Sanchez hits out after flurry of cards in Chile defeat

MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) – Alexis Sanchez launched another fusillade in Chile’s football feud with Uruguay after the South American champions were hammered 3-0 in Montevideo on Tuesday, saying the hosts were as bad winners as they were losers.

In a typically bad tempered encounter, four players from each side saw yellow and Chilean Jorge Valdivia was sent off after the final whistle, apparently for words said to Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan.

Arsenal striker Sanchez took to Instagram after the defeat, Chile’s first since winning the Copa America in July, to congratulate the Uruguayans.

He somewhat undermined his comments, however, by criticising them for a lack of grace.

“You need to know how to win and how to lose and I speak when I win and when I lose,” he wrote.

“But what annoys me about past and present and other Uruguayan players … is that they speak without acknowledging that they’ve lost.

“Today we lost and I congratulate them … it’s goodbye from the champions of the Americas.”

In spite of the niggles from both sides on Tuesday there was no repeat of the skullduggery that marked the Copa America encounter between the sides.

Chile won that game 1-0 on their way to lifting the title for the first time but the match was overshadowed by the red cards shown to Uruguayans Edinson Cavani and Jorge Fucile.

Cavani reacted in the most innocuous of manners when Chilean defender Gonzalo Jara stuck his finger up Cavani’s bottom and was shown the red card. Fucile was sent off near the end for a tackle that was robust but not malicious.

Uruguay have harboured a grudge ever since, with centre half Diego Lugano threatening to teach Jara, who was also banned after an appeal, a lesson.

Lugano was left out the squad for the game and it was perhaps just as well as Uruguay’s three goals all came from defenders.

Godin got the first midway through the first half, Alvaro Pereira scored with a header in 61 minutes and Martin Caceres sealed the victory with another header three minutes later.

The win helped Uruguay to nine points in four games and their best start to a World Cup qualifying campaign since 1989.

Uruguay sit second in the table behind the runaway leaders Ecuador, while Chile are fifth in the 10-team table with seven points.

(Reporting by Andrew Downie, editing by Nick Mulvenney)