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Disallowed goals, wrong national anthems and a Luis Suarez tantrum... five Copa America controversies

(L-R) Uruguay's Mathias Corujo, Luis Suarez and Abel Hernandez on the substitute's bench

The Copa America Centenario has been a wildly entertaining tournament but it hasn't been without its hitches...

The centenary edition of the competition, which reaches a climax on Sunday, has been played in front of packed US crowds but incident has come off the pitch as well as on it.

As Argentina prepare to face Chile in the final, we look back at five moments that have caused a real stir...

Did the ball cross the byline?

PASADENA, CA - JUNE 4: The soccer ball bounces off the shoulder of goalkeeper Alisson Becker #1 of Brazil and bounces into the goal during the second half
Image: Brazil goalkeeper Alisson fumbles a cross into the net, but the goal wasn't given

In just the second game of the tournament, Brazil played out a 0-0 draw - but Ecuador felt hard done by not to leave the Rose Bowl with all three points.

Miller Bolanos appeared to keep the ball in play on the byline, but though the cross he fizzed into the box was fumbled into the net by Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, the officials ruled it had gone out of play.

Replays suggest that the ball may have stayed in bounds, and therefore could have changed the outcome of Group B.

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Needless to say, Ecuador head coach Gustavo Quinteros was not impressed: "I just saw the replay several times, and unfortunately the referees again make a mistake in favour of the stronger team.

"In fact, if the play had been on the other side, we doubt very much that the referee would have decided to invalidate that goal. So we're very angry about that, all that effort, all that work, and we get a goal taken away from us."

The wrong national anthem

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It went wrong right from the start for the Uruguay squad in their defeat to Mexico, even as they lined up for their national anthem

The competition's organisers were forced to apologise as the national anthem of Chile was played instead of that of Uruguay ahead of a Group C clash with Mexico.

While the mistake wasn't immediately recognised - Diego Godin even appeared to sing along at one point - the mix-up soon became clear as Godin's team-mates stayed silent.

Realising their mistake, the Copa America organisers issued an apology.

"We sincerely apologise to the Uruguayan Federation, the Uruguay national team, the people of Uruguay and to the fans for this mistake," read a statement from tournament officials.

Controversial handball decision in the 100th minute

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Bolivia were eliminated from the Copa America after a controversial late Arturo Vidal penalty handed Chile a 2-1 win

Chile beat Bolivia 2-1 thanks to a 100th-minute penalty from Arturo Vidal, which proved to be a crucial winner for the Copa America finalists.

But the penalty awarded to Chile was a controversial one as the ball appeared to hit Bolivia defender Luis Alberto Gutierrez on the shoulder, his arm tucked behind his back. However, the referee deemed it to be handball and a penalty was awarded.

Peru knock Brazil out by a clenched fist

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See the handball that knocked Brazil out of the Copa America against Peru

Perhaps the greatest controversy of the tournament was during the game between Peru and Brazil when Raul Ruidiaz scored by guiding the ball into the net with his arm.

After a lengthy discussion between the referee and his assistant, the goal was allowed to stand and Brazil went on to lose 1-0, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.

Ruidíaz claimed the ball hit his thigh rather than his hand and said the goal was no 'Hand of God' but rather 'thanks to God'.

"It was a clear hand ball," fumed Brazil head coach Dunga. "Maybe it's the first time in history that Brazil was eliminated by a goal scored with a hand, a hand ball that was so clear."

A Luis Suarez tantrum

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Luis Suarez shows his anger at being left out of Uruguay's defeat to Venezuela in the Copa America that meant they were out of the tournament

Uruguay were one of the favourite to win the tournament but a 1-0 defeat to Venezuela - the goal from West Brom striker Salomon Rondon - saw them knocked out at the group stage.

When midfielder Alejandro Guerra lobbed Fernando Muslera from more than 30 yards, the Uruguay goalkeeper chased back and tipped the ball onto the bar, only for Rondon to follow up with a goal that proved decisive.

Luis Suarez, who had already missed the first game through injury and was not named in the squad for the Venezuela match, fumed as he watched from the sidelines.

The Barcelona striker lost his temper as he threw one of his boots onto the pitch, while also punching the dug-out in frustration. 

Follow the Copa America final between Argentina and Chile - kick-off at 1am on Monday morning, UK time - with our live blog on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps.

You can also watch Copa America matches live on Premier Sports

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