All Whites winger Marco Rojas has made a stunning start for his Chilean club Colo-Colo, providing the assist for a winning goal in stoppage time.
The game against Palestino seemed to be heading for a scoreless draw when three minutes into added time, substitute Rojas calmly stroked a pass to teammate Marco Bolados who steered his shot into the net for a winner.
The home crowd at Santiago’s 47,000-capacity Estadio Monumental David Arellano went wild with delight when referee José Cabero confirmed the goal which keeps Colo-Colo six points clear at the top of the Chilean Primera División.
Main photo: Rojas lines up the pass that led to the winning goal.
The 30-year-old Hamilton-born winger had been introduced to the play in the 62nd minute, the first of four second-half substitutions by coach Gustavo Quinteros.
Goalscorer Bolados had come off the bench in the 75th minute.
After the game (played on Monday August 15, NZT), match reports and social media comments heaped praise on the coach for his tactical substitutions that broke the deadlock against fourth-placed Palestino.
Watch the goal
Goal keeps Colo-Colo on winning streak
The victory was Colo-Colo’s sixth in a row and the side has produced six successive clean sheets at home.
Rojas, who has played 42 internationals for New Zealand, moved to Chile, the birth country of his father, after the expiration of his contract with A-League club Melbourne Victory.
He played his youth football for Hamilton Wanderers and has since had professional stints with the Wellington Phoenix, Melbourne Victory (three times), VfB Stuttgart, SC Heerenveen and SønderjyskE.
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