WATCH: Ex-Valencia striker Eduardo Vargas scores most controversial goal of 2024 in Chile-Bolivia clash | OneFootball

Former Valencia and Napoli striker Eduardo Vargas was one of the stories of the night for all the wrong reasons during Chile’s clash with Bolivia. Vargas scored his 42nd goal in his 113th cap for La Roja, but not in the fashion that many would have hoped.

Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Lampe had the ball at his feet and was being pressured by Vargas when he went down holding his knee. Vargas went on to collect the ball and run in to score into an empty net.

Lampe had gone down holding his knee injured, which was later confirmed by the Bolivian Federation to be an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Vargas clearly was not to know that at the time, but he faced no shortage of fury from Bolivian side.

It was a unique scene, although Vargas seemed to show little remorse. All the same, it ended up being one of the happiest nights in Bolivian football history. As detailed by Marca, Bolivia ended a run of 31 years without a victory away from home, when they beat Venezuela 7-1 in 1993. Carlos Algaranaz had given them the lead before Vargas’ goal, but Miguel Terceros gave Bolivia the winner in first-half stoppage time.

Chile are now second-bottom of the qualifiers and in serious trouble in terms of their hopes of qualifying. Meanwhile Bolivia are just a point off the qualification spots.