Everton de Vina del Mar needed a stoppage-time penalty to win their Copa Chile semi-final first leg 2-1 against Coquimbo Unido on Wednesday evening.
The Ruleteros were taken right to the wire by the Primera B side in the pouring rain at the Estadio Sausalito and the tie is finely balanced ahead of next week’s return.
After a goalless first half, Everton midfielder Rodrigo Echeverria opened the scoring on the hour when he headed a superb cross from Juan Cuevas past Coquimbo keeper Matias Cano.
Everton then had a goal disallowed for offside (for the second time in the match) before, with just seven minutes left, defender Sergio Felipe levelled for Coquimbo with an accurate shot that gave Franco Torgnascioli no chance.
The visitors looked to have earned themselves a share of the spoils until the 95th minute when the referee awarded Everton a penalty following a handball by Benjamin Vidal inside the visitors' area.
Panamanian striker Cecilio Waterman stepped up and kept his nerve to send the keeper the wrong way and give Everton what could prove to be a priceless advantage.
The late drama at the Estadio Sausalito wasn’t quite over yet, though – Everton’s Gary Moya, already off the pitch after being substituted, was shown a red card in the 96th minute.
The second leg is at Coquimbo’s Estadio Municipal Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso on 1 September and the winners are highly likely to face Chilean giants Colo-Colo in the final after they thrashed Union Espanola 4-0 in their semi-final first leg.
