chile

Manager: Marcelo Bielsa
Captain: Claudio Bravo
FIFA World Ranking: 15
World Cup Appearances: 8
Best World Cup: Third Place – 1962

Chile Team Profile

Chile have a formidable record when it comes to qualifying for World Cup’s, with South Africa 2010 set to be their ninth appearance in the competition often touted as the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet. However, unlike ever before Chile come into the finals in tremendous form and full of optimism after finishing the South American round of qualifying in 2nd position, just one point shy of the World No.1′s Brazil.

Despite only being ranked 15 in the FIFA Rankings, Chile were just a point off Brazil in the South America standings and finished above three others South American nations competing in South Africa this summer; Paraguay, Uruguay and even Argentina. Moreover, only Brazil could better Chile’s scoring exploits of 33 goals in 18 qualifiers in what was a prolific qualification campaign for the Chileans.

Marcelo Bielsa, an Argentine at heart, has worked wonders with the Chilean team and his direct reward was to reach the South African finals in 2010. He has made Chile a more potent attacking force, with Humberto Suazo the star of qualifying with 10 goals in 18 qualifiers, while consistency has also been added to their game, while both attributes will serve them well in South Africa as they pit their wits against some of the World’s best nations on a more regular basis.

Nicknames: La Roja (The Red One) 

Manager

Marcelo Bielsa is a huge favourite with the Chilean public after his efforts to guide Chile to the World Cup in South Africa were successful, even finishing above the country Bielsa originates from, Argentina.

Bielsa does have the necessary international experience to make Chile a big player in South Africa as he was the man who guided Argentina to Olympic Gold at the 2004 Olympics, while that same year he took Argentina to the finals of the Copa America, unfortunately losing the final. The fans were more than happy with the work Bielsa was doing at the Argentina helm, but Bielsa himself decided enough was enough and later resigned from his managerial post.

The highlight of Bielsa’s managerial reign with Chile was of course gaining qualification into South Africa, but the 1-0 win at home to Argentina will certainly be up there. It would also be ironic should Bielsa meet Argentina in South Africa, as were he to mastermind Argentina’s downfall once again, it would surely be meet with a hostile reception back home in his home land of Argentina. 

Chile Key Players

Suazo, because of his predatory instincts, generally receives most of the plaudits because of the sheer amount of goals he’s scores, but both Matias Fernandez and Alexis Sanchez played an ample role in an effective forward unit for Chile.

The three generally set up in a diamond like formation, with Suazo the main striker and Fernandez and Sanchez occupying the wings. Fernandez plays the role of architect to perfection, squeezing balls through to a potent and on-his-toes Suazo, while on the opposite side of the pitch will be Sanchez, an explosive and tricky customer who will look to put his blistering pace and acceleration to good effect by sprinting to the touchline and whipping in some delicious deliveries.

Both Fernandez and Sanchez act mainly as the suppliers, while Suazo’s keen eye for goals and composure in front of the goal makes him the ideal hitman up front for Chile. They each play a pivotal role informing a deadly duo for Chile in the final third.

Strengths

Chile were very prolific throughout qualifying, so we feel their obvious strength is their attacking play. With the help of Humberto Suazo, who scored 10 during the qualifiers, and Matias Fernandez in Midfield who scored 4, Chile were able to find the net on no less than 32 occasions, just one shy of Brazil who managed 33. To fall shy of a Brazilian team packed full of attacking flair and quality, you have to be doing some right in the final third of the pitch, so Chile will be a dangerous opponent and difficult to defend against if there record in qualifying serves them well.  

Weaknesses

Chile’s defence appears to be their achilles heels as they conceded more goals in qualifying than any of the other four South American nations who made South Africa’s cut. Claudio Bravo, a goalkeeper for Real Sociedad in Spain, was in goal for all of Chile’s 18 qualifiers and conceded 22 goals. Bravo is just 27 years-old, and for a goalkeeper that’s pretty young. It also doesn’t bode well that their reserve keepers are also very young, with Bravo’s main contenders for the gloves younger than he is. You always need a man with maturity, authority and experience between the sticks and unfortunately for Chile, they don’t have that in Claudio Bravo.

We must say that Chile’s defence did perform a lot better when playing at home, but they won’t have the luxury of playing on home soil in South Africa, so their defence will need to sharpen up soon before they clash with teams which will provide their defence with a thorough examination.

Chile Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: South America
Finishing Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 10-3-5
Goals Scored: 32
Goals Conceded: 22

Chile Qualifying Statistics

• Chile score a total of 32 goals in 18 qualifiers, the second best offensive record in the South American qualifying zone.
• The Chileans boast the worst defensive record out of the four automatic qualifying nations from South America, conceding 22 goals in 18 games.
• Humberto Suazo finished as South America’s deadliest striker, scoring 10 goals in 18 appearances during qualifying.
• Chile received the most amount of penalties during qualifying – make of that what you will – with referees handing them four penalties in total.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

The Chileans won’t be a team the bigger nations will ideally look forward to playing, while the group they were drawn in, Group H, means they have a fantastic opportunity of making the last-sixteen. Their main strength is their forward play, spearheaded by South America’s most prolific forward during qualifying, Humberto Suazo, but their defence could be their downfall as their desire to commit men to attack often leaves them exposed and lightweight at the back. If they can get the right balance, Chile could be one of the tournament’s surprise packages. They are definite value and could quite easily make light of their 66/1 quote.

Chile World Cup Betting Odds

Chile to win the World Cup: 50/1 – Bet365 

Before the World Cup the odds on Chile were 66/1 

Official Chile World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Claudio Bravo (Real San Sebastian)

Miguel Pinto (Universidad de Chile)

Luis Marin (Union Espanola)

Defenders

Waldo Ponce (Universidad Catolica)

Ismael Fuentes (Universidad Catolica)

Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich Albion)

Gary Medel (Boca Juniors)

Mauricio Isla (Udinese Calcio)

Arturo Vidal (Bayer Leverkusen)

Pablo Contreras (PAOK Thessaloniki)

Marco Estrada (Universidad de Chile)

Midfielders

Carlos Carmona (Reggina Calcio)

Rodrigo Millar (Colo Colo)

Jorge Valdivia (Al Ain)

Matias Fernandez (Sporting Lisbon)

Rodrigo Tello (Besiktas Istanbul)

Gonzalo Fierro (Flamengo)

Juan Beausejour (America)

Strikers

Humberto Suazo (Real Zaragoza)

Alexis Sanchez (Udinese Calcio)

Mark Gonzalez (CSKA Moscow)

Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo)

Fabian Orellana (Xerez)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Chile Fixtures – Group H

28/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Chile – Brazil: 0-3

World Cup 2010 Group H - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Brazil v Chile Betting Odds

Brazil to win: 4/7 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 3/1 at SkyBet
Chile to win: 6/1at SkyBet

To Qualify
Brazil: 1/5 at Totesport
Chile: 4/1 at Boylesports

Brazil

Brazil failed to score in a group match for the first time since 1978 as they closed out Group G as winners. They ran out a 0-0 draw with Portugal, in a match which the Portuguese basically did enough, and that was it. Games like this will come and go at the World Cup group stage, this is because the Portuguese knew that a draw would be enough to see them through, so rightly they would set their stall out not to lose as opposed for pressing for the win. Brazil look different in style of play, but just as proficient and full of quality as they have been in the past. Coach Dunga has set up the national side well, as they continue forward looking to remain the only team to win the World Cup outside of their own continent. Their next encounter at South Africa 2010 is against familiar South American team, Chile. The two sides last met at the World Cup in 1998, when Brazil ran out 4-1 winners in the last sixteen. Brazil also had the drop over Chile during South American qualification, as the Brazil beat them 3-0 in Santiago, and then 4-2 back in Brazil. This will mean that Brazil really will have nothing much to fear from the Chileans, who finished one point behind the five time World Champions in qualification. With all of the South American teams going so well at the tournament so far, this is a heavyweight clash between two of the best.

Brazil will welcome back both Kaka and Elano who were missing from the line up against Portugal. Now Brazil can simply look forward, as they will be expecting to meet Holland in the quarter finals in a mouth watering match. But first the need to keep their heads composed as they take on Chile in a match in which they will start as favourites. Brazil have looked untroubled through their three group matches, even though they themselves played out something of a cautious match against Portuguese, with nothing really at stake. Still, they could not be beaten and now just four matches stand between them and regaining the World Cup title. As expected, Brazil have not been as expansive as teams from the past, but that is a deliberate change made by coach Dunga as he fulcrums the team around defensive midfielder Gilberto Silva, who has the highest passing completion rate in the tournament so far. Brazil are very solid in the middle of the park, and the way they keep the ball from the opposition is still to be admired. Just because they set up in a more defensive manner than before, it does not mean that they are any weaker going forward than they are expected to be. Their passing and their movement off the ball, is still better than most teams in the World, they are simply a little more selective about their choices. They really do not have, and certainly have not shown any weaknesses at all. Brazil have a lot of strength in their full backs getting forward, thanks to the holding players in midfield, and that should push Chile back. It is what gives them an extra dimension, and a confident Brazil, which they are looking, will be a tough prospect to beat.

Chile

There is a certain enigma about Chile at the World Cup this year. They came in a hotly tipped dark horses, and qualified as expected with Spain from their group. While they have been one of the more entertaining teams to watch because of their positive approach to the game, they have not quite hit their full potential. While they won their opening two matches against Honduras and Switzerland, they really could have been more clinical and ruthless in their approach. They have also been the most ill disciplined team at the World Cup, and that was their downfall in their critical final group match against Spain. After having a player sent off and falling behind in the match, Chile fell apart after looking the stronger of the two teams at the start. If they can hold their composure and stick to what they do best, in passing the ball around at speed, and taking bold chances in getting forward, they should be able to give Brazil a match. However, they will know their foes well after being completely over ran by them twice during South American qualification, so do they have the tools to upset the record books, and the World Cup betting odds at the same time?

To Chile’s credit, they clawed their way back into the match against Spain, albeit with a deflected shot. But they showed a willingness to fight for each other, and if they had kept 11 men on the pitch, it could have been a much more interesting game. They will know that they are only in the second round thanks to Switzerland’s inability to score a goal against Honduras, which spared Chile’s blushes. Now, the question is, can coach Marcelo Bielsa pick his men up to take on the mighty Brazil. They will go into the match as underdogs, but one thing about Bielsa, is that he is not afraid of making decisions, he is not afraid of changing personnel and tactics to adapt to the situation. The loss against Spain, and the manner in which it came about, will have been highly disappointing to the coach. Not having a great record against Brazil either, losing their only two encounter in World Cup history, which includes the semi final in ‘62, will mean that Chile will have to chase the game a lot. There was enough from the team to suggest that they can cause problems, but what they have produced so far, does not look quite enough to take down Brazil. Saying that, Chile are a more balanced side than they have ever been. If they are bold in their plans, they are one of the teams best suited to take on Brazil, because they will match them for attacking pace and are one of the few teams which could press the Brazilians back.

Brazil v Chile Betting Tip: Both teams to score 5/4 at Bet365

Current Brazil V Chile Odds:

Spain v Chile Betting Odds

Spain to win: 8/15 at Coral
Draw: 10/3 at Ladbrokes
Chile to win: 13/2 at Paddy Power

Spain

Just one point from their final match and Chile will cause one of the biggest surprises at the World Cup by winning Group H ahead of Spain. Spain were famously undone in their first 2010 FIFA World Cup fixture by a dogged and determined Switzerland, who beat the pre tournament favourites 1-0. Now Spain have a mighty battle against Chile in their final match, to get the three points they need to guarantee qualification. Spain recovered from their opening loss with a 2-0 victory over Honduras. While it was not emphatic, it was a very comfortable victory in which Spain could have had treble the amount of goals they scored. Star Striker David Villa missed the opportunity to become his country’s leading goal scorer in history, as he missed his chance at a hat trick from the penalty spot, but looked very sharp throughout the match. Spain played exactly the same way they did against the Swiss, with fantastic pace, fantastic movement and passing ability. But still they may be rueing just why they are missing so many chances in front of goal. They have already been bitten once in their opening match, and it is something which m ay seriously come back to haunt them. They were supposed to be pretty much home and dry in the group by now, but instead they face a high pressured match against their toughest opponents in the group.

Chile top the group with six points, with Spain back on three. A win will not be a formality for the Spanish, as Chile have looked one of the most impressive teams at the tournament so far. They have not been spectacular, but they have been very, very good, and this final group H match should be the best of all the group matches that have been, and will be played. This is simply a mouth watering match, with a lot on the line, as Spain really need a victory to guarantee themselves a place in the last sixteen. A draw may not be good enough, and a defeat certainly won’t, as Switzerland are level on points with Spain, but they play the group outsiders Honduras in a match the Europeans will be expected to win. There is a scenario here that Spain, Chile and Switzerland will all end up on six points if the Spanish and the Swiss win their matches. Then it will all come down to goal difference, and even that is too tight to call at the moment. But before all that, Spain’s Vicente Del Bosque needs to focus on how to defeat Chile, who haven’t conceded a goal yet. Spain certainly need to be a bit sharper in front of goal, and they will hope to get Iniesta back into the line up if he is recovered from injury, as Liverpool striker  Fernando Torres does not look match sharp at all. Del Bosque said after the Honduras victory, that he wants more from his players, more from his team. He will be worried against the scoring chances which have gone begging, as they may not get many of them against the tough Chilean defence. Spain’s World Cup is on the line, and expect this to be a fantastic match.

Spain World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W1, D0, L1
GF/GA: 2/1
Cards: Y0, R0
Most Shots: David Villa, 9
Top Scorer: David Villa 2
Shots/On Goal: 46/16
Fouls Committed: 17
Total Passes: 1315
Pass Completion: 77%

Chile

They are justifying their position as one of the World Cup dark horses. They have been playing some fantastic football under coach Marcelo Bielsa, and they look a tough nut to crack. It was said that they would come to the World Cup with a strong defence, but it has not really been tested so far, because their midfielders and attackers have been stealing the limelight. The way Chile play is a joy to watch. They are a positive side which use a lot creativity to get themselves into advanced positions behind the defence. While they are team which like to attack at pace, there does not appear to be any sacrifice when it comes to defensive duties, and that is something which will pose Spain problems. Chile have the midfield which will really test the physical and mental attributes of the Spanish, and if Chile hit their stride going forward, the Spanish defence will come under threat from the air and from the wings. There is not a harder working team at the World Cup than Chile, and they look as if they have got their form and their build up just right for the big stage.

They look a big threat down the left hand side, and pass the ball around with some aplomb. This will be a clash of two very good passing sides, and not only is there a top spot at place, the winner of Group H will be able to avoid playing Brazil in the next round. Now more than ever will the Spanish be feeling the pressure of expectancy, and it is they who have to take the initiative in the game and go for the win. But Chile coach Bielsa, who will happily tinker with his formation and tactics all afternoon, is not to be trifled with. They are not a side packed with household names to fans of European football, but for a side who finished just one point behind Brazil in South American qualification, they need to watched out for. Chile have the advantage in this match, but knowing that a draw will suffice, and if they need to shut up shop for 85 minutes of the match, then that is what they will do. That may not be their best strengths, but they should be able to match and counter attack whatever Spain can throw at them. This is a finely balanced match, which the European Champions need to up their game for.

Chile World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W2, D0, L0
GF/GA: 2/0
Cards: Y8, R0
Most Shots: Alexis Sanchez, 9
Top Scorer: Mark Gonzalez, Jean Beausejour, 1
Shots/On Goal: 40/12
Fouls Committed: 40
Total Passes: 1096
Pass Completion: 75%

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: Spain will start as favourites, simply because they are such a good side. But the odds on a Chile win look to be a little exaggerated. They are a good side which will battle hard and cause Spain a lot of problems. Chile holding out for a draw is certainly not out of the question on this one. Spain may just edge this one, with their quality and class winning out at the end of the day. It won’t be easy and they will know that they have been in a scrap.
Chile +1 for 11/10 at Bet365

Current Chile V Spain Odds:

Honduras V Chile

Kick-off: Wednesday, 16th June – 12:30 GMT
Stadium: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Referee: Eddy Maillet (Seychelles)
Group H

Honduras

Honduras have only ever participated in one World Cup previously, registering two draws and a defeat as they exited the Spanish finals back in 1982 at the group stage. Back then, only a point was the difference between Honduras making the knock-outs and packing their suitcases, and it’s those fine margins which ultimately decide a players/teams fate. Can the Hondurans make amends for their near miss by claiming one of the two available qualifying positions in Group H?

Passionate Honduras supporters will be in the mindset that the Gods are watching over their players, after a late United States goal in Costa Rica sent Honduras to the finals, ending a 28 year wait for World Cup prestige. Whether or not they can make the most of their good fortune remains to be seen, although, from what we’ve seen of them, they aren’t necessarily our first pick to make it through the group above Switzerland and Chile, while it’s somewhat a given that Spain will finish top of Group H. Before the finals, Honduras partook in five warm up internationals which seen them finish with a record of 0 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats, all against sides of little standing.

We feel it’s safe to stick Honduras in that category of teams that definitely won’t win the competition, as with supremely talented individuals at a premium the North American side will find life tough going despite the relative ease at which their group would be for a high quality team, such as Spain. They do, however, have two players with a keen eye for goal in Carlos Pavon and David Suazo, who between them have scored 73 international goals, as well as rack up 152 caps. However, the most notable Honduran is Tottenham Hotspur’s Wilson Palacios, who will look to break up opposing attacks as well as form some of his own for Honduras. There is enough experience and know-how in defence while the same can be said for their 33 year-old keeper Noel Valladares.

If Honduras are harbouring any realistic hopes or targets of making the knock-outs than this is a fixture they simply have to win. With Spain next up, defeat to Chile would all but end their hopes of being a part of the last-sixteen. They have two wise goal-getters up front and they need to use them if they wish to stand any chance of ousting the South Americans.

Chile

Chile pack more of a punch with their previous World Cup experience, having played in seven finals previously – six more than Honduras – and can even brag about a third-place finish back in 1962, although those finals were held on Chilean soil. However, their most recent appearance was back in 1998 and that remains their only World Cup entry in an otherwise baron 24 year spell. It’s a lot more than their match day rivals though, so can Chile make their World Cup wisdom count when the two meet on Wednesday?

When seeing the draw for South Africa 2010, Chile will have been delighted, and probably jumping for joy, at the prospect of facing the 2008 European champions and making the Round of 16. Like Honduras, Chile will be well aware that Spain are the favourites to progress, the likely group winners, but the second knock-out berth is well and truly up for grabs and Chile, after impressing during qualifying when finishing second only to Brazil, will begin their World Cup adventure with plenty of optimism.

The last World Cup Chile played in they did make the knock-outs, although that was only the second occasion in seven attempts they had achieved such a feat and that has to be a huge put-off factor for any potential Chile backer, their knack of faltering in the group stage. They arrive, though, in good knick, as we said earlier, finishing second in South America qualifying, a point behind the classy Brazilians, and will be supremely confident that with the squad they have they better their abysmal record at the group stage of the finals.

It was pretty evident that Chile’s defence wasn’t their strongest asset when conceding 22 goals in 18 qualifiers, although still not bad considering the attack bias South American teams usually play with, but more instead in the ferocious forward power which seen them rack up 32 goals in the same amount of games, once again finishing 1 shy of the mighty Brazil. If their superb all round record in qualifying is anything to go by, which it should to some degree, Chile are only slightly worse off than Brazil but a distance better than Argentina, who are prominent in the betting market to win the World Cup. There is, of course, the small matter of their star forward missing this game through injury, as Humberto Suazo, who scored 10 goals in qualifying, is set to miss the games with Honduras and Switzerland. With the exception of that piece of bad news, and that is significant information, Chile are more than just a decent outfit, and should they replicate the form shown in qualifying will wipe the floor with Honduras.

Match Odds:

Honduras – 6.50 Bet365
Draw – 4.00 bWin
Chile – 1.67 WilliamHill

Our Prediction: Chile to WIN – 1.67 WilliamHill

The only niggle with a back of Chile is how they replace and cope without Humberto Suazo, as against a Honduras side which conceded goals against Turkey, Belarus, Venezuela and Romania, Chile will find goalscoring opportunities easy to come by, it’s just about putting them away. In Fernandez and Sanchez, Chile have two deadly wingers, two skilful and pacey wingers who will continue to swing in delightful crosses for the central figure in front of goal, which could be absolutely anyone as Bielsa doesn’t really have another out-an-out striker in his squad. Either way, considering Honduras don’t exactly pack much of a punch in the final third themselves, so long as Suazo’s replacements puts away one of the chances he gets, Chile should make the best possible start in Group H.

Our Recommended Bet: Chile to Score 2 or More Goals – 1.80 PaddyPower

Algeria

Pre-World Friendly Form: WL

Republic of Ireland 3-0 Algeria
Algeria 1-0 UAE

One of England’s opponents in Group C, Algeria were thrashed by one of England’s neighbours when the travelled to Ireland to take on the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. The Irish cruised to a 3-0 win against a toothless Algeria, with the African’s messy and lacking organisation in defence. It doesn’t bode well for the Algerians, after all, Republic or Ireland are nothing in comparison to England and the fact Algeria rarely troubled the ROI goal will be a concern for coach Rabah Saadane.

Algeria did make amends in their final warm up game however, registering a 1-0 win over the United Arab Emirates thus ensuring the Algerian’s went into their first World Cup game against Slovenia with something to shout about. Wolfsburg Karim Ziani with the game’s only goal, Algeria’s one and only in their two pre-World Cup friendlies.

Argentina

Pre-World Friendly Form: W

Argentina 5-0 Canada

Diego Maradona clearly didn’t see the point in scheduling a load of friendlies in before the finals, opting instead to keep his squad fresh ahead of Argentina’s World Cup opener against Nigeria on June 12th. However, the one and only pre-World Cup friendly they did play finished with an impressive Argentine victory, smashing North Americans Canada 5-0 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Amongst the scorers was Liverpool’s Maxi Rodriguez with a brace, Benfice’s wonderkid Angel Di Maria, Man City’s Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, as Argentina ran riot in the Argentine capital.

The talk beforehand surrounding Argentina has been the wide array of striking talent Maradona has at his disposal; Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Lionel Messi and Diego Milito, and against lowly Canada, Argentina shown exactly why everyone is hyping up their chances, especially in regards to finishing the tournament with the most amount of goals scored.

Australia

Pre-World Friendly Form: WW

Australia 2-1 New Zealand
Australia 1-0 Denmark
USA 3-1 Australia

Pim Verbeek, Australia coach, pencilled in several friendlies ahead of the finals and must be under the impression that his Aussie players were rusty and needed to tweak their match sharpness before their Group D opener against three-time World Cup winners Germany. Despite obtaining a winning result in their final home international before the World Cup, Australia were ordinary at best throughout their clash with international neighbours New Zealand. However, a late strike from Holman ensured the euphoric Aussie support would say their goodbyes with celebrations. It would appear Verbeek was correct in his identification of a rusty squad as with a first pre-World Cup friendly victory under their belts, Australia recorded an impressive 1-0 win over fellow World Cup participant Denmark.

However, in their final game before facing Germany in Durban on June 13th, Australia were given a bit of a pasting by the United States, losing 3-1 to the Americans, with Tim Cahill grabbing the only Aussie goal. No longer will Pim Verbeek’s Australia head into the World Cup with immaculate, the complete opposite in fact after their USA humbling.

Brazil

Pre-World Friendly Form: W

Zimbabwe 0-3 Brazil
Tanzania – Brazil

Just the two friendlies for the five-time World Cup winners starting with a bizarre although money spinning trip to Zimbabwe in Harare. The opening exchanges went, surprisingly, the way of Zimbabwe as ‘The Warriors’ carved out a number of glorious opportunities, even walloping a shot against the woodwork. It wasn’t until 42 minutes when Brazil found some confidence, as a free-kick from left-back Michael Bastos was rifled into the top corner of the Zimbabwe net. The ‘Samba Kings’ didn’t look back thereafter and just minutes later doubled their lead through Robinho. In the second half Zimbabwe lost their erly first period swagger which seen them cause the Brazil defence all sort of problems, with Lucio in particular all over the place, and after a sweet passing move involving Baptista and Alves, Elano prodded home into an empty net to complete the rout. Hardly convincing stuff from the tournament’s second favourites but a win nonetheless, while there’s getting away from the fact that all three of Brazil’s goal were sublime.

Brazil’s second and final warm up match will be against Tanzania on June 7th. Another game they should win rather comfortably.

Cameroon

Pre-World Friendly Form: LLDD

Georgia 0-0 Cameroon
Slovakia 1-1 Cameroon
Portugal 3-1 Cameroon
Serbia 4-3 Cameroon

Paul Le Guen publicly expressed his concern over the Cameroon team by scheduling four friendlies, more than most of the remaining 31 participants. The fact none of the four went the ‘Indomitable Lions’ way leads to many an alarm bell ringing in the Cameroon camp. Against Georgia, a team which struggled throughout qualifying, Le Guen’s men could only muster a 0-0 draw, as chances were few and far between for Cameroon. Their second warm up game did see them score, although it was the scrappiest goal you’ll ever see, as Enoh’s scruffy goal levelled the scoring against a more adventurous Slovakia. Their third, arguably their most difficult on paper, was against Portugal of which they found themselves completely outclassed. A 3-1 defeat to one of the weakest Portugal teams in recent history doesn’t bode well, while Eto’s dismissal in the first half won’t have gone down too well back home whatsoever.

In their final game before the finals, Cameroon put in their best attacking display thus far but still came away with nothing to show for their efforts, with the 4-3 loss to Serbia leaving Cameroon winless after four pre-World Cup warm up matches. They were. Though, without the suspended Samuel Eto so coach Paul Le Guen can at least take some heart from Cameroon’s three goal exploits without their superstar forward on the pitch. His defence, however, has now conceded eight goals in four goals and that has to be of great concern for the coach.

Chile

Pre-World Friendly Form: WWWL

Mexico 1-0 Chile
Chile 3-0 Zambia
Chile 1-0 Northern Ireland
Chile 3-0 Israel

While Chile have played more friendlies recently than most, they exactly overextended themselves in either. Two, though, were comfortable 3-0 wins, thus reinforcing the comments made by many experts claiming Chile can and will score goals in South Africa. Zambia and Israel were both despatched with a touch of class, but their second string could only conjure a narrow 1-0 win over Northern Ireland which does have us drawing up conclusions that Chile’s strength in depth isn’t great. Even so, eight goals in four games isn’t to be sniffed at, and neither is three successive clean sheets.

Chile will be the last of two teams to take to their field in a warm up match ahead of the finals in South Africa, with New Zealand awaiting them on June 9th.

Cote d’Ivoire

Pre-World Friendly Form: WD

Paraguay 2-2 Ivory Coast
Japan 0-2 Ivory Coast

New Les Elephants coach Sven Goran Eriksson, a manager which took England to the quarter-finals at Japan/Korea in 2002, didn’t dither when selecting his sides pre-World Cup friendlies when choosing games against two South Africa-bound teams in Paraguay and Japan. Their first clash ended 2-2 with Paraguay, a game which produced as many negatives for Eriksson as positives. Ivory Coast, or Cote d’Ivoire, found chances in front of goal easy to come by although putting them away was another matter, with captain Drogba in particular wasteful. They did, though, power their way into a 2-0 lead with goals from Drogba and Bamba, but goals from Barrios and Torres cancelled out some early Les Elephants celebrations leaving Sven to ponder over his sides in complacency issues, as well as some arrogance in front of goal.

Their second and final warm up game ended in disaster despite beating Japan in a straightforward manner. Goals from Didier Drogba and Kolo Toure were enough for Sven’s Les Elephants to record a vital victory ahead of their opener against Portugal on June 16th, however, the win came at a heavy price as captain Drogba now looks destined to miss the entirety of the finals after fracturing his arm.

Denmark

Pre-World Friendly Form: LLW

Denmark 2-0 Senegal
Australia 1-0 Denmark
South Africa 1-0 Denmark

The Danes have looked in good nick during their warm up encounters despite falling to a narrow defeat in one of them. Their one loss came against Australia in a game neither side really deserved to win, but in their first run-out against African side Senegal, Denmark displayed the sort of solid, reliable and clinical traits that seen them finish above Portugal and Sweden in qualifying.

Despite fielding a strong and experienced starting eleven in their last game before the finals against South Africa, Denmark fell to pretty shocking 1-0 defeat to the hosts South Africa. The Danes were toothless and wasteful in front of goal and paid the price with defeat. It leaves Olson’s Danes winless once again following their 1-0 loss to Australia days earlier. Far from ideal form heading into a game against Holland on June 14th.

The World Cup is less than a fortnight away for Chile, who kick-off their South Africa adventure against Honduras on June 16th in Nelspruit. Preparations are well under way and Marcelo Bielsa has already seen his players in action on several occasions in recent friendly internationals against Mexico, Zambia, Northern Ireland and Israel. Ironically, though, it was the last of the four against Israel where their star man, the play which scored a large proportion of their goals during qualifying, picked up a hamstring injury which looks likely to keep him out of action for Chile’s opening Group H encounters against Honduras and Switzerland.

Humberto Suazo is 29 years-old, just 5ft 7incs tall and spent the remainder of last season on loan with Real Zaragoza in Spain while the Mexico Primera was on a break. Suazo notched six goals in seventeen appearances while at Zaragoza, but it was his prolific scoring form during Chile’s eighteen qualifiers which impressed everyone, with Suazo netting ten times during qualifying and finishing as the joint-leading goalscorer in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, an honoured shared with Greek forward Theofanis Gekas.

Chile were never going too many huge wagers on them to win South Africa’s edition of the World Cup in 2010, but their forward aggression combined with some talented individuals does mean they will be a popular E/W selection in South Africa. After all, they finished second only to Brazil in the amount of goals scored during qualifying, racking up a more than impressive tally of 33 goals in just 18 qualifiers. Chile were also done a massive favour by being drawn in arguably the weakest group in terms of qualifying competition. EURO 2008 winners Spain are in their group and remain the strong favourites to win the group, but the Spanish are the only team Chile will fear this summer, as Honduras and Switzerland aren’t huge footballing nations. Progression into the knock-outs will be the objective and it’s one they really should achieve.

Many, including us, were pinpointing Humberto Suazo as a possible Golden Boot contender at big odds. In a team which focuses all it’s forward impotence on Suazo, with Fernandez and Sanchez on the wings providing a constant stream of passes, through-balls and crosses, a side which knows only one way to play football and that’s attacking. And with the group Chile are in, Suazo was expected to score a couple in games with Honduras and Switzerland. However, the irony now is he will miss both leaving his opportunity to score in the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Spain, and without his presence and eye for goal up front, that could actually be Chile’s final game of the tournament. Either way, a tasty outsider for the 2010 FIFA Golden Boot has gone sour, and it’s a shame because we genuinely had high hopes for Suazo springing a surprise.

Humberto Suazo will miss Chile’s games against Honduras and Switzerland.

Chile V Northern Ireland

Sunday, 30th May – 20:30 GMT
International Friendly

The Chile national team will have another chance to woo their Chilean supporters when they take on Northern Ireland at Estadio Muncipal Nelson Arena in Chile later this evening in a fixture they will surely fancy their chances of not only winning but winning emphatically.

What awaits Marcelo Bielsa’s team is a Northern Ireland side who weren’t a million miles away from securing qualification themselves. The Irish were five points short of the required points tally needed to snatch a route into the play-off’s, although at one stage held the lead in Group C in the European sector, looking down upon the likes of Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and Czech Republic. Nigel Worthington’s men had their poor away showings to blame for their shortcomings, picking up the solitary win on the road against minnows San Marino.

The Northern Ireland coach, Nigel Worthington, is expected to name a similar side to that which lost to Turkey in the United States during the week. A team which was vastly inexperienced and lacking any sort of ‘big time’ game credentials, with a large number plying their trade over in Ireland. With Worthington set to take the same approach, testing some of his younger talent ahead of Euro 2010 qualifying later this year, you might be forgiven for thinking NI will be out of their depths against a ruthless Chile.

Whereas Northern Ireland are aiming to avoid registering four defeats in four internationals, Chile will look to build further on some booming confidence in camp sustained from their comfortable 3-0 win over Zambia last week. The Chileans were prolific during qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring nearly as many goals as the South American World Cup kings Brazil. They’re a team which rely on some cut-throat attacking play, using the pace and trickery of their two wingers on either flank, Fernandez and Sanchez, and the clinical, precision finishing of Humberto Suazo in the central-striker role.

With the 3-0 victory over African’s Zambia in mind, and with the finals drawing ever nearer, Bielsa may consider experimenting with his formation and players, especially as this game with Northern Ireland should be a walk in the park. Even so, Chile will want to carry on their building of momentum mission and will definitely set out to win this game, thus taking a winning run into the finals, where they’ll meet Honduras on June 16th.

Match Odds:

Chile – 1.36 SkyBet
Draw – 5.00 WilliamHill
Northern Ireland – 9.50 Boylesports

Anything less than a straightforward win and Bielsa will be concerned. Northern Ireland were poor against Turkey and perhaps should have lost by a far greater margin. Chile on the other hand took a while to get going against Zambia and didn’t score a single goal in the opening half of the game. Bielsa will demand a high-tempo display from his players right from the off, although even we’re in the dark in regards to who might play for Chile this evening. If the dangerous forward trio of Fernandez Sanchez and Suazo all play then NI could be in for a long night.

Chile to cantor to victory (Half-Time/Full-Time) – 2.00 StanJames

Manager: Marcelo Bielsa
Captain: Claudio Bravo
FIFA World Ranking: 15
World Cup Appearances: 8
Best World Cup: Third Place – 1962

Chile Team Profile

Chile have a formidable record when it comes to qualifying for World Cup’s, with South Africa 2010 set to be their ninth appearance in the competition often touted as the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet. However, unlike ever before Chile come into the finals in tremendous form and full of optimism after finishing the South American round of qualifying in 2nd position, just one point shy of the World No.1′s Brazil.

Despite only being ranked 15 in the FIFA Rankings, Chile were just a point off Brazil in the South America standings and finished above three others South American nations competing in South Africa this summer; Paraguay, Uruguay and even Argentina. Moreover, only Brazil could better Chile’s scoring exploits of 33 goals in 18 qualifiers in what was a prolific qualification campaign for the Chileans.

Marcelo Bielsa, an Argentine at heart, has worked wonders with the Chilean team and his direct reward was to reach the South African finals in 2010. He has made Chile a more potent attacking force, with Humberto Suazo the star of qualifying with 10 goals in 18 qualifiers, while consistency has also been added to their game, while both attributes will serve them well in South Africa as they pit their wits against some of the World’s best nations on a more regular basis.

Nicknames: La Roja (The Red One) 

Manager

Marcelo Bielsa is a huge favourite with the Chilean public after his efforts to guide Chile to the World Cup in South Africa were successful, even finishing above the country Bielsa originates from, Argentina.

Bielsa does have the necessary international experience to make Chile a big player in South Africa as he was the man who guided Argentina to Olympic Gold at the 2004 Olympics, while that same year he took Argentina to the finals of the Copa America, unfortunately losing the final. The fans were more than happy with the work Bielsa was doing at the Argentina helm, but Bielsa himself decided enough was enough and later resigned from his managerial post.

The highlight of Bielsa’s managerial reign with Chile was of course gaining qualification into South Africa, but the 1-0 win at home to Argentina will certainly be up there. It would also be ironic should Bielsa meet Argentina in South Africa, as were he to mastermind Argentina’s downfall once again, it would surely be meet with a hostile reception back home in his home land of Argentina. 

Chile Key Players

Suazo, because of his predatory instincts, generally receives most of the plaudits because of the sheer amount of goals he’s scores, but both Matias Fernandez and Alexis Sanchez played an ample role in an effective forward unit for Chile.

The three generally set up in a diamond like formation, with Suazo the main striker and Fernandez and Sanchez occupying the wings. Fernandez plays the role of architect to perfection, squeezing balls through to a potent and on-his-toes Suazo, while on the opposite side of the pitch will be Sanchez, an explosive and tricky customer who will look to put his blistering pace and acceleration to good effect by sprinting to the touchline and whipping in some delicious deliveries.

Both Fernandez and Sanchez act mainly as the suppliers, while Suazo’s keen eye for goals and composure in front of the goal makes him the ideal hitman up front for Chile. They each play a pivotal role informing a deadly duo for Chile in the final third.

Strengths

Chile were very prolific throughout qualifying, so we feel their obvious strength is their attacking play. With the help of Humberto Suazo, who scored 10 during the qualifiers, and Matias Fernandez in Midfield who scored 4, Chile were able to find the net on no less than 32 occasions, just one shy of Brazil who managed 33. To fall shy of a Brazilian team packed full of attacking flair and quality, you have to be doing some right in the final third of the pitch, so Chile will be a dangerous opponent and difficult to defend against if there record in qualifying serves them well.  

Weaknesses

Chile’s defence appears to be their achilles heels as they conceded more goals in qualifying than any of the other four South American nations who made South Africa’s cut. Claudio Bravo, a goalkeeper for Real Sociedad in Spain, was in goal for all of Chile’s 18 qualifiers and conceded 22 goals. Bravo is just 27 years-old, and for a goalkeeper that’s pretty young. It also doesn’t bode well that their reserve keepers are also very young, with Bravo’s main contenders for the gloves younger than he is. You always need a man with maturity, authority and experience between the sticks and unfortunately for Chile, they don’t have that in Claudio Bravo.

We must say that Chile’s defence did perform a lot better when playing at home, but they won’t have the luxury of playing on home soil in South Africa, so their defence will need to sharpen up soon before they clash with teams which will provide their defence with a thorough examination.

Chile Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: South America
Finishing Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 10-3-5
Goals Scored: 32
Goals Conceded: 22

Chile Qualifying Statistics

• Chile score a total of 32 goals in 18 qualifiers, the second best offensive record in the South American qualifying zone.
• The Chileans boast the worst defensive record out of the four automatic qualifying nations from South America, conceding 22 goals in 18 games.
• Humberto Suazo finished as South America’s deadliest striker, scoring 10 goals in 18 appearances during qualifying.
• Chile received the most amount of penalties during qualifying – make of that what you will – with referees handing them four penalties in total.

World Cup Potential: 3/5

The Chileans won’t be a team the bigger nations will ideally look forward to playing, while the group they were drawn in, Group H, means they have a fantastic opportunity of making the last-sixteen. Their main strength is their forward play, spearheaded by South America’s most prolific forward during qualifying, Humberto Suazo, but their defence could be their downfall as their desire to commit men to attack often leaves them exposed and lightweight at the back. If they can get the right balance, Chile could be one of the tournament’s surprise packages. They are definite value and could quite easily make light of their 66/1 quote.

Chile World Cup Betting Odds

Chile to win the World Cup: 50/1 – Bet365 

Before the World Cup the odds on Chile were 66/1 

Official Chile World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Claudio Bravo (Real San Sebastian)

Miguel Pinto (Universidad de Chile)

Luis Marin (Union Espanola)

Defenders

Waldo Ponce (Universidad Catolica)

Ismael Fuentes (Universidad Catolica)

Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich Albion)

Gary Medel (Boca Juniors)

Mauricio Isla (Udinese Calcio)

Arturo Vidal (Bayer Leverkusen)

Pablo Contreras (PAOK Thessaloniki)

Marco Estrada (Universidad de Chile)

Midfielders

Carlos Carmona (Reggina Calcio)

Rodrigo Millar (Colo Colo)

Jorge Valdivia (Al Ain)

Matias Fernandez (Sporting Lisbon)

Rodrigo Tello (Besiktas Istanbul)

Gonzalo Fierro (Flamengo)

Juan Beausejour (America)

Strikers

Humberto Suazo (Real Zaragoza)

Alexis Sanchez (Udinese Calcio)

Mark Gonzalez (CSKA Moscow)

Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo)

Fabian Orellana (Xerez)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Chile Fixtures – Group H

28/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Chile – Brazil: 0-3

World Cup Group H - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

World Cup Group of Chile