Vargas double lifts Chile into Copa America final

June 30, 2015

Santiago, Jun 30: Eduardo Vargas scored twice as Chile downed fierce rivals Peru 2-1 here to reach the Copa America final for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Chile

Vargas, who endured a miserable season on loan at relegated English Premier League side Queens Park Rangers, lashed in a stunning 64th-minute strike as the hosts advanced to the final for the first time since 1987.

Vargas had given Chile a controversial lead after 42 minutes, prodding home from close range after the referee's assistant failed to spot a fractional offside.

Peru, who played most of the match with 10 men after Carlos Zambrano was sent off for a reckless challenge on Charles Aranguiz after 20 minutes, came back bravely to force an equaliser through a Gary Medel own goal in the 60th minute.

But Vargas, who also had a legitimate goal wrongly ruled out for offside early in the second half, restored Chile's lead with a contender for goal of the tournament.

The 25-year-old picked up a loose ball in midfield, surged forward and unleashed a ferocious dipping 30-yard effort that flew into the top corner past Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.

Chile will now play the winner of Tuesday's semi-final between Argentina and Paraguay as they chase a first ever Copa America crown after 99 years of failure.

The latest instalment of Chile and Peru's long football rivalry -- known as the "Clasico del Pacifico" -- burst into life after only four minutes, when Chile's Arturo Vidal tangled angrily with Zambrano.

Vidal was fortunate to escape at least a booking for thrusting a hand in Zambrano's face as tempers threatened to boil over.

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News Network
March 27,2024

IPLbettingsuicide.jpg

Bengaluru: Darshan Babu is an engineer who is fond of betting on cricket matches and has been placing major bets on Indian Premier League (IPL) games since 2021. He often borrows money after losing a bet, or to place one when he is short on funds. His 23-year-old wife, tired of the constant harassment by creditors, died by suicide.

Ranjitha was found hanging at her home in Karnataka's Chitradurga on March 18. According to the family, Darshan had racked up a debt of over Rs 1 crore.

He worked as an assistant engineer in the Minor Irrigation Department at Hosadurga and had been ensnared in the realm of IPL betting from 2021 to 2023. This took a major toll on the couple's finances. Allegedly, he had borrowed over Rs 1.5 crore to place bets after his luck ran out and he lost all his money. While he managed to return Rs 1 crore, cops say that he still has a pending loan of ₹ 84 lakh.

Ranjitha married Darshan in 2020. She realised the truth about Darshan's involvement in betting in 2021, claims her father Venkatesh.

In his complaint, Venkatesh said that his daughter was extremely distressed due to the constant harassment by moneylenders and this led to her suicide. He has also named 13 men who had allegedly lent the money.

He said that his son-in-law was lured into betting with a promise of quick money.

"He (Darshan) was not willing to get into betting, but the suspects forced him saying it was an easy way to get rich. They promised to finance his betting activities against some blank cheques as security," he said.

Cops during their investigation found a suicide note, where she detailed the harassment they faced. Darshan and Ranjitha have a two-year-old son.

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