World Cup Team Profile: Chile

Chile return to the World Cup after a 12-year hiatus and will be keen to improve on a poor record that has seen them lose just under half of the games they have played in tournaments past. Their third place on home soil in 1962 still stands as their best finish.

La Roja secured their place at the finals by finishing second in the South American qualifying group, just a point behind Brazil, playing a high-tempo attacking game that drew plenty of plaudits. They will line up alongside Spain, Switzerland and Honduras in Group H.

The Coach

Marcelo Bielsa (ARG)
54 years old

El Loco (the crazy one) is a student of thebeautiful game with very singular views on how he likes the game to be played. A successful coach in his native Argentina with Newell’s Old Boys and Velez Sarsfield, he led the national team to the 2002 World Cup in some style before they sensationally crashed out at the group stage of the tournament proper.

Bielsa took over as Chile coach following their fractious early exit from the 2007 Copa America and has gradually imposed his preferred 3-3-1-3 formation on the players at his disposal. They started qualification slowly, but picked up pace following the success of the Under-23 team in the Toulon tournament as Bielsa’s ideas finally began to click. His philosophy now fully ingrained in the consciousness of his charges, the 54-year-old will be confident of greater success in his second stab at the World Cup.

Players to watch

Carlos Carmona
23 years old
Midfielder
Reggina (ITA)

Energetic midfielders are vital for Chile’s high-tempo, heavy pressing game to be effective and in Carmona, they have one of the highest order. First rising the prominence as the captain of the Chile side that reached the semi-finals of the 2007 Under-20 World Cup, Carmona has been a virtual ever present in central midfield since returning with a silver medal from the 2008 Toulon tournament. He will snap away at the heels of opposition midfielders all day long and is composed enough in possession not to waste the ball once retrieved.

Alexis Sanchez
21 years old
Winger
Udinese (ITA)

Another graduate of the 2007 Under-20 side, Sanchez is an old-fashioned winger of considerable talent, excellent in one-on-one situations and in possession of the necessary pace to burst in behind opposition defences if the opportunity arises. Sanchez has gradually established himself as a starter for Udinese this season and could be destined for bigger things should he perform at his best in South Africa, with the likes of Manchester United, Lyon and Roma said to be circling.

Humberto Suazo
28 years old
Striker
Real Zaragoza (SPA)

At first glance it is easy to write Suazo off. With his stocky, slightly portly frame, he doesn’t exactly look the part in the highly-athletic world of modern day football. However, he is deceptively quick, able to shoot with power off either foot and intelligent enough to link effectively with the midfield – attributes that serve him well as Chile’s lone central striker. He was the top scorer in South American qualifying and will be looking to continue that form in the World Cup proper.

Jorge Valdivia
26 years old
Attacking Midfielder
Al-Ain (UAE)

Matias Fernandez was a near ever-present as the one attacking midfielder behind the front three in World Cup qualifying, but his position could be under threat from Valdivia, who performed excellently as a first-half substitute for Fernandez against Colombia in the penultimate qualifying game and then started the final match at home to Ecuador. A small, twinkle-toed playmaker of appreciable talent, he is more than capable of causing a storm in South Africa should the opportunity arise.

The view from Chile:

Spirits are high in Chile ahead of the tournament, with the convincing nature of their qualification campaign causing some to suggest this might just be the best side they’ve ever produced. Precious few would expect Chile to come home with the trophy, but there is genuine optimism they will at least qualify from their group, although the draw makes it hard for many to confidently predict they will go much further.

Prediction

Chile won’t be one of those teams who look to scrape through their group on the back of a 1-0 win and a goalless draw. Bielsa’s side are primed to attack and their positivity should see them come through their group as runners-up behind Spain. Unfortunately for La Roja, their reward is likely to be a second round clash with Brazil, who showed in qualifying that they are perfectly structured to soak up pressure and hit Chile on the break to devastating effect. Thus the second round seems likely to be as far as Chile will go.

Chile have never won a World Cup match outside of South America.

16/06/10: Chile  1 – 0  Honduras    – Nelspruit
21/06/10: Chile  1 – 0  Switzerland   – Nelson Mandela Bay
25/06/10: Chile  1 – 2  Spain    – Tshwane/Pretoria