Chile (National Football)

Chile have a fighting chance of advancing to the knockout stages of World Cup 2014, despite being drawn alongside Spain, the Netherlands and Australia in a daunting-looking Group B.

The Socceroos will be the lowest-ranked team in Brazil, and they are firm favorites to finish bottom of the group, but the pedigree of Spain and the Netherlands is undeniable.

Those two teams advanced all the way to the final, of course, in 2010 and both remain potent forces four years later.

La Roja have been the dominant force in the game since they won the European Championships in 2008. They backed that up with victory in South Africa and a second-straight win at the Euros in 2012. 

A 3-0 trouncing at the hands of Brazil in the 2013 Confederations Cup final gave the rest of the footballing world some hope that Spain's golden era may have come to an end. Even if the team is no longer head and shoulders above everyone else, they will still take some beating at the World Cup.

The majority of the players who won the 2010 edition are still on board. They went through qualifying undefeated, and this week's defeat of Italy was further evidence of their enduring class. 

The Netherlands, meanwhile, have persisted with the slightly more pragmatic, ruthless style of football that took them to the latter stages of the competition in South Africa, while still boasting an abundance of technically gifted individuals.

Despite the intimidating credentials of their group opponents, Chile have demonstrated over the last two years that they are a team capable of matching both of them.

Jorge Sampaoli's men play a brand of dynamic football that could see them challenge the world's best sides.

After a period of discontent under Claudio Borghi, Sampaoli has encouraged the attacking, attractive style of football that was first instilled in the Chilean side by Marcelo Bielsa in his time in charge there between 2007 and 2011. 

They may have lost 1-0 to Germany in Stuttgart this week, but the manner in which the South Americans dominated large periods of that game raised a few eyebrows across Europe.

Chile's game is based on slick passing and movement, much like Spain, but they play with more speed and directness than their European counterparts.

It's a high-risk way of operating that can sometimes leave the side exposed defensively but when it works, it can be devastatingly effective. And Sampaoli appears to have his charges very well drilled at the moment.

The midfield holds the key to the team's success, with talented and multi-functional players like Arturo Vidal, Charles Aranguiz and Jorge Valdivia making up the Chilean engine room.

If they shine this summer, Spain, the Netherlands and Australia could find the South Americans difficult to contain, bearing in mind they also have the advantage of playing on their home continent. 

Considering the Chilean threat, the 2010 World Cup finalists are by no means guaranteed of advancing through to the knockout stages of the 2014 edition.

Bleacher Report were live at Wembley to take in England's convincing loss to Chile, and Alexis Sanchez is just one of many players who caught the eye in red that night.

He forms the crux of our latest scouting report, where we analyse players' individual performances and explain what role they fulfilled.

The Basics

Chile had a few injuries to deal with and, as a result, switched from a 3-4-3 to a 4-3-3 formation. The two are pretty interchangeable anyway, but it was the first time Jorge Sampaoli had played an orthodox back four for several months.

For a team like England that would have been a seismic shift, but for Chile—who have a team identity and common craft—the change was easy to adopt.

Throughout the game Eduardo Vargas, Eugenio Mena and Charles Aranguiz all trialed slightly different positions to the ones they adopted in qualifying, but others around them—including Sanchez—made it easy for them to adapt.

La Roja's base system is fluid, with counterattacks just as likely as possession football. It combines all the strengths Sanchez (a star player) has learned over the past three years, both with Udinese and Barcelona.

The team as a whole were incredibly comfortable playing out from the back, and Marcelo Diaz would often end up playing it to a wide forward who had dropped in to take the ball. Sanchez, playing on the right, was happy to oblige and help his teammates, then turn and use Mauricio Isla as a foil to steam forward.

His passing in tighter areas was good, he gave Leighton Baines a nightmare positionally and nipped in early at the back post to fire his nation ahead.

It was hardly a surprise to see Barca's second-top scorer for the season open his account in London, and he would go on to give the defence fits all evening.

Searing

Of the two methods Chile used to wear England out—slow possession football and rapier-like counters—it was the latter that suited Sanchez the most.

Claudio Bravo (GK)'s willingness to play in a Victor Valdes-esque manner forced England's forwards into pressing high up the pitch, but that wasn't part of the Roy Hodgson game plan. As he drew Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere in, holes began to appear in midfield, and the forwards would drop in to take advantage.

Two quick passes and Sanchez has room to turn in his own half, and that's where he can really do some damage.

Bravo laid a trap, and England fell into it; teams will have to be extremely careful of that at the World Cup, as Chile have the right set of players—Gary Medel, Diaz and Alexis/Vargas—to make this a lethal, cut-throat strategy.

Sanchez's second goal was reminiscent of the ones he would score at Udinese, as a late counter fed him in on goal from the flank, and his finishing did the rest. Since moving to La Liga, he has never been in better form, and England were unfortunate to run into him in his current groove.

If Chile play like this at the World Cup, they are the dark horses for victory. Alexis Sanchez could be very much among the goals.

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Chile blew a golden opportunity to automatically qualify for the 2014 World Cup in their last match. Leading 3-0 over Colombia this past weekend, Chile inexcusably gave up three second-half goals for a crushing 3-3 draw.

Chile hosts Ecuador on Tuesday, and both teams can advance to Brazil with a win or draw in the final match of CONMEBOL qualifying. Both have 25 points, but Ecuador stands third with a two-goal advantage in goal differential. If fifth-place Uruguay plays to a home draw or loses against first-place Argentina, both Chile and Ecuador will automatically advance with a top-four place.

The betting favorite in this match at most online sportsbooks tracked by OddsShark.com is actually the draw at -150, with Chile at +140 and Ecuador at +900. This is not a huge surprise as a draw serves both sides and oddsmakers can expect both to play cautiously and defensively.

In World Cup qualifying, Chile’s offense had struggled against the top teams until it scored three goals in the Colombia match. Their defense is the issue. In the top six teams in South American qualifying, it has conceded the most goals.

While Chile’s defense is suspect, Ecuador has given up the second-fewest goals in qualifying. Their offense has struggled as of late, as in their last five qualifying matches it has scored three goals.

They did beat Chile 3-1 at home, but on the road they only have three points with three draws and four losses. In 10 tries, they have never beaten Chile in a World Cup qualifier in Santiago.

Chile had their four-match qualifying winning streak snapped with the draw in their last match.

Other World Cup qualifying odds for Tuesday include Argentina vs. Uruguay, the Americans favored against Panama, and Mexico favored vs. Costa Rica.

For both Chile and Venezuela, tonight's match was a do-or-die clash as each entered the field in dire need of a victory in order to move closer to clinching a berth at next summer's World Cup. 

Fittingly, one side thoroughly outclassed the other, Chile cruising to an all-important 3-0 victory over the Venezuelan squad, putting themselves in a favorable position to snag an invitation to Rio. 

Entering the match, Chile sat in fourth place in CONMEBOL qualifying, and with Venezuela trailing by a mere five points, this triumph was a vital one for Eduardo Vargas, Matias Fernandez and company.

Though Venezuela entered the match aiming to keep their World Cup dreams alive, Chile managed to keep the visitors at bay all night and built up an overwhelming lead by the time the whistle sounded to end the first half. 

After Vargas found the back of the net in the 11th minute, the Chileans kept the guests' scoring opportunities to a minimum and, as a result, the game's outcome seemed to be decided by halftime. 

Vargas, who had buried a low shot in the bottom right corner from within the box, sucked the life out of the Venezuelan side, but it wasn't all that surprising given that the visitors were dealing with a nasty team-wide illness in the hours leading up to the match. 

Via Fox Sports:

According to multiple reports, 20 members of Venezuela’s 24-man squad were reportedly unable to practice due to a severe stomach virus. Farias has less than 24 hours to pray that his players recover from what is an ill-timed outbreak of the worst thing in the world.

"They [the squad] didn’t have a good night and they weren’t able to train well," Farias told reporters after Venezuela’s practice on Wednesday.

Regardless of the extenuating circumstances, Chile put together a complete team effort and that's why the hosts were able to claim a comfortable lead before the match was even one-third over. 

Defender Marcos Gonzalez put the Chileans two up after finding the back of the net for the first time this season and, from there, coach Jorge Sampaoli's bunch never looked back. 

Arturo Vidal then put the match out of Venezuela's reach in the dying moments of the match and, in doing so, the 26-year-old midfielder lifted his national team to within striking distance of earning a World Cup place. 

Ultimately, Venezuela's back line proved to be the team's achilles heel—three defenders managed to draw yellow cards before halftime, limiting the defense's ability to challenge during the later stages of the match.

For the Venezuelan side, the loss put a serious dent in the nation's chances at punching a ticket to Rio, especially given that their closest rival, Uruguay, have a couple of qualifying matches in hand. 

After such a pivotal match, here's a look at how each of the two teams' starters performed in Santiago. 

Chile

 Juan Arango: C-

On a night when Venezuela desperately needed to generate quality offensive chances, Juan Arango let too many opportunities slip away.  

With three chances in scoring areas, Arango should have at least put at least one of the attempts on target—alas, the 33-year-old missed the goal completely on all three. 

The defeat was far from Arango's fault, but in order for Venezuela to keep up with a more talented Chilean side, he had to challenge the goalkeeper at least.

Marcos Gonzalez: A

For starters, the defender played a big role in limiting Venezuela's scoring chances all night, as the Chilean side managed to contain the visitors to just one shot on target. 

In addition, the Flamengo stalwart played the role of hero midway through the first half, netting his side's second goal with a header in the 30th minute. 

Normally, Gonzalez is counted upon for his defensive play, but on this night the veteran defender made his presence felt at both ends of the pitch.

What's Next?

Chile have a rather daunting task in less than a week's time when they take on reigning World Cup champion Spain, but seeing as it's not a qualifying match, it shouldn't be viewed as an all-important tilt. 

For now, Chile are in good shape in preparation for Rio, but there's still work to be done in order for this squad (which advanced to the Round of 16 in 2010) to secure a trip to Brazil. 

At the other end of the pitch, the Venezuelans will be desperate when they take on Peru and Paraguay over the course of the next five weeks. 

Simply put, if Venezuela don't find a way to land a couple of upsets, this will be a team that's left hoping for other squads to stumble—which is never a good situation.

The 2014 World Cup qualifying stage will feature a high-stakes matchup on Friday between Chile and Venezuela.

Chile and Venezuela both enter the match with hopes still alive of making it to Brazil next summer, but the road looks a bit tougher ahead for the Venezuelans. They're tied for fifth place with Uruguay, which has a game in hand.

Meanwhile, the Chileans look to close out an impressive summer by punching their ticket to Brazil next summer, and a win on Friday would greatly improve their chances of staying in the top four. Both squads have just three matches left to secure a place in Brazil. 

Let's take a look at everything you need to know for Friday's matchup.

When: Friday, September 6 at 8:30 p.m.

Where: Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Watch: beIN Sport en Espanol, beIN Sport Play

CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying

Below is an updated table of the CONMEBOL standings (via ESPN).

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Argentina	13	7	5	1	16	26
Colombia	12	7	2	3	14	23
Ecuador	12	6	3	3	5	21
Chile	13	7	0	6	0	21
Uruguay	12	4	4	4	-3	16
Venezuela	13	4	4	5	-4	16
Peru	12	4	2	6	-5	14
Bolivia	13	2	4	7	-9	10
Paraguay	12	2	2	8	-14	8

Key Matchup: Chile Center-Backs vs. Venezuela Attackers

October 16, 2012 was the last time Chile gave up more than one goal in a World Cup qualifying match (a 2-1 loss to Argentina). 

Since, the Chileans are 3-1 and have given up just two goals in their last three matches (all wins). 

Despite their recent successes in the qualifying stage, things haven't been so certain for the squad as of late. Mason Bryan of The Santiago Times said Wednesday that Venezuela's attack could pose more problems for Chile than they saw in a recent friendly win over Iraq.

Defence is certainly the thinnest area in Chile’s squad. Against Iraq, Sampaoli played an attacking backline without a recognized center back — this system proved devastating to the opposition, though Venezuela’s aggressive attack is sure to pose more problems than the Middle Eastern side.

Things may have changed for Chile's back line since they last played a World Cup qualifying match in mid-June, and a friendly win over Iraq isn't enough for us to truly tell. Friday will surely offer some clarity as to where Chile's defense stands. 

Top Story: Chile To Honor Anniversary With "Silent Goal"

Chile's national team and fans are being asked to shy away from screaming and yelling after their first goal on Friday to pay tribute to a military coup 40 years ago, according to Reuters (via Yahoo! Sports). 

Days after a military coup on 11 September 1973, around 12 000 suspected leftists were rounded up and herded into the National Stadium, which was used as an interrogation and torture centre.

The viral campaign, #goldesilencio (silent goal), which quickly trended on Twitter, is ran by human rights campaigners Amnesty International.

The celebration—or lack thereof—should Chile score a goal on Friday will certainly be worth paying attention to. 

Prediction

Chile boasts too much of an offensive attack—with Matias Fernandez and Eduardo Vargas combining for five goals each in qualifying—for the Venezuelans to deal with. On top of that, the underdogs Venezuela will be fortunate to net more than one goal.

Those two factors put together make picking up three points (or even one point) incredibly difficult for Venezuela, as Chile will cruise to an all-important victory that will put it closer to qualification.

Chile 3, Venezuela 1

On Wednesday afternoon 26 Chilean miners were rescued before it was Franklyn Lobo's turn to return to the surface of the earth. Years ago some people in Chile would have never thought they would hear the name Franklyn Lobos as a miner. That was all because when Lobos was in his prime, he was the soccer star for Chile. 

In the 1980's and early 1990's, Lobos donned several soccer jerseys in Chile before being selected to the participate with the Chilean National team for the World Cup qualifiers. He wore the Chilean National colors of red, white, and blue in Los Angeles and made some of his countrymen proud.

When he was not selected for the national team in 1984, it would be a few more years for Lobos on the pitch before he retired. In 1995 he called it quits and took up a career as a miner shortly afterwards.

In 2010 a disaster struck Chile earlier in the year with a catastrophic earthquake. Much later on in the same year Lobos would find himself in trouble trapped within a mine with no way out in sight. The government predicted that it would take months before they could get out. 

But on October 13th Lobos and some of his fellow miners were rescued from the mine. It was much earlier than they expected and the whole world greeted them with open arms when they got out. 

Lobos was greeted by the President of Chile who spoke to him and said that he had played the game of his life in those months in the mine. It was a game of survival and Lobos made it out victorious. 

He had become a Chilean soccer player at the early age of 15. Then he became a miner. On October 13th, 2010, Franklyn Lobos and his fellow miners became a story of inspiration for others to never give up even in the most dire of situations. 

Throughout this World Cup, teams have shown a tendency to adopt a rigid system, cautious not to concede. In what seems like a drastic revert to the tactical philosophies of decades ago, managers of unfancied teams are more than happy to stay solid, play for an early draw, and then take the second game by the horns. Most of these managers have watched their team exit in the group stages. However, one team has broken the mould, and seen a highly respected success ensue from this change in mentality.

Chile have not only finished in the knockout phase, they’ve also won the respect and admiration of fans because of the way they play. While other sides have adopted a negative approach, Chile have shown flair, excitement, and a desire to score goals. Watching a team play this way makes for more entertaining football, a stark contrast to most games at this tournament where teams will both try not to concede, leading to football uneasy on the eye.

Of course, the first step to building a good team is a good manager. Marcelo Bielsa is a man who knows what he’s doing, aware of the strengths of his team and how they should look to play. A former Argentina manager, Bielsa encourages forward thinking and a passing game which is as decisive as Italy and as direct as Brazil.

It’s all very well winning admiration for the good football you play, but it won’t please your own fans, your confederation demanding success, or your country who are likely to want their nation’s World Cup success to propel their country into the spotlight, if your team is unsuccessful. So how have Chile fared with their style of football compared to other, negative teams?

Chile began their campaign against lowly Honduras, both teams widely tipped to make an early trip home. Something that immediately struck me as a spectator was that one team was dominating over the other.

Because both sides were group underdogs, it was expected that the game would be fairly even, with both teams trying to claim a win before facing the group’s favourites. This was not the case. Chile showed much greater skill levels and technical prowess which their opponents struggled to contain.

Alexis Sanchez was tearing the Hondurans apart: The wide man’s technique and direct runs showed the world why Real Madrid are allegedly chasing his signature. How Chile only won this game by a single goal, nobody knows. Nevertheless, the group was thrown wide open due to Switzerland’s shock victory over Spain.

The Swiss were Chile’s competition for a second round place and, as previously mentioned, got off to a flyer against the European champions. Ottmar Hitzfeld’s approach contrasted that of Bielsa’s. Switzerland were extraordinarily disciplined, limiting the Spanish and containing their attacks, keeping their own fitness levels high. They were a touch fortunate to get the game’s only goal, but this was the aim of their strategy. And it more than paid off, giving the Swiss fans a famous victory to celebrate.

Unfortunately for Switzerland, they used a similar approach against Chile. Letting the Chileans come forward, they were again happy to sit back and take a point to their final game against Honduras. This move didn’t pay off, as, common in many games at these finals, a red card changed the game.

Valon Behrami, twice in a matter of seconds, raised arms and elbows to his challengers, catching the face and the referee’s attention. The West Ham player was shown a red card for violent conduct, causing the Swiss to retreat further into their collective shell. If Switzerland were defensive before, what followed was sixty minutes of nail-biting, clinging-for-a-point, containing play: allowing Sanchez and Chile to come forward with wave after wave of attack.

Mark Gonzalez eventually won the game, leaving the Swiss needing a win in their final game, although it could have been so different if Derdiyok had slotted home a gift of an equalising chance in injury time. Hitzfeld’s tactics not paying off this time, Chile’s attacking flair meant they could always seek to catch Switzerland in the counter attack as their opponents chased an equaliser, rather than sit back and allow the ten men to come forward and put them under pressure.

That second game proved to be decisive for Chile, but other World Cup underdogs haven’t seen such euphoria. Greece showed no attacking force against South Korea, and were comprehensively beaten. While Rehhagel’s men couldn’t hold out for a draw against Argentina and were eliminated, Uruguay topped their respective group but also showed attacking shyness, missing a trick in their opening game.

While the French may appear forceful on paper, Uruguay showed no attacking ability against what was a very fragile and wayward team. Quite a mistake, considering they possess Diego Forlan within their ranks. The South Americans did cruise through eventually, but the defensive mentality of their opening game proved to be an opportunity missed to collect maximum points.

Other unfancied teams have fallen the same way as Greece. North Korea didn’t have much of a choice than to defend, but they couldn’t hold Brazil, Portugal, or Ivory Coast to a draw.

Algeria played their opening game against Slovenia, a crucial game which would give the winner a real chance of progression. After much negative football, the coaching staff sent on striker Ghezzal to win the game. A brave move that probably would have worked if the substitute hadn’t got himself sent off for a deliberate handball. The move came too late, and Algeria departed with a single point, not making any real attempt to beat the USA in their final game, a win which would have taken them through.

Perhaps the most heinous decision was made by Ivory Coast’s manager, England’s old friend, Sven-Goran Eriksson. While Bielsa was quick to establish Chile’s strengths lay in attack, Sven was not as on the ball. Even though he selected forwards Drogba, Kalou, Dindane, and Gervinho in his squad, he still played defensive football against Portugal in his side’s opening game. Such was the negativity; a last-gasp corner was played short, resulting in the full time whistle rather than an opportunity on goal. It proved costly, Ivory Coast lost to Brazil while Portugal turned on the style to demolish North Korea, all but sealing the West Africans’ elimination.

Despite Bielsa’s attacking philosophy, his side were still in a tricky position come the final game against the Spanish. Even though Chile had collected maximum points thus far, a defeat against the European champions, coupled with the other likely result of a Swiss win over Honduras, would put them out by virtue of goal difference.

Chile fans could point to a failure to score more goals against Honduras and Switzerland as the reason their goal difference was of no aid to them come the final game. This would surely anger Bielsa, but he was determined to seal Chile’s qualification with a point against Spain. A promising start gave the hoards of travelling Chileans encouragement that they would even avoid Brazil in the second round.

Unfortunately, a moment of madness by their keeper gifted Spain the lead. Iniesta added a second, and an extremely harsh red card left the struggling South Americans with a mountain to climb.

Not giving in to temptation, Bielsa rallied his troops, seeing them pull a goal back. The attacking mentality was back with a vengeance as they pushed for an equaliser that would never come. However, they were rewarded by the Hondurans holding Switzerland to a draw, who must have been regretting not going full-throttle for their must-win game.

Their attacking play put them through and has set an example: telling the smaller nations you can find success without playing for a draw and boring the watching world. Many spectators wanted Chile to defeat Brazil and progress as far as possible. Unfortunately, their colossal game against Brazil proved to be a game too far, with the five-time World Champions' superior class telling on the day. But despite the result; Bielsa and Chile have taught several World Cup finalists a humbling tactical lesson.

Stage : 1/16th Final

Winner Plays Versus: Holland

Time: 2030h GMT +1

Venue:  Elis Park Stadium in Johannesburg – A classic, old fashioned English-style box stadium with good camera angles. Some of the shots have been too long-range though, with insufficient close-ups.

Referee:  Howard Webb – for all the referee whining we have seen from the English over the past days, their referee is the most controversial of them all. With a love for giving late, unfounded penalties, and flapping yellow at mosquito bites... FIFA like him because he is an imposing presence that keeps control of the big matches. Unfortunately for Chile, he likes to play favourites with the big teams, so if Brazil ask for free-kicks they should get them easily.

Date of Birth: 14.07.1971 in Rotherham, Yorkshire.

Height: 188 cm

Place of residence: London and Rotherham.

Occupation: Professional Referee

Mother tongue: English

International since: 2005

First international: Northern Ireland-Portugal (15.11.2005)

Hobbies: Family

Fondest memory: UEFA Euro Austria-Switzerland 2008 Final

Overview: Brazil have been one of the best teams in the tournament so far, with attacking Brazilian flair accompanied by a solid, team defence. They let a draw slip to Portugal and could underestimate Chile, a team Brazil has beaten twice in qualifications. Those two defeats were rare for the attacking Chileans, and this very talented team has been among the most entertaining so far. If they can recover from their narrow defeat to Spain and realize their ability, don’t be surprised if there is an upset.

Suggested Menu With Your Game:

Appetizer: Caldillo de congrio al vino ... a fantastic eel stew made with wine that the legendary poet Pablo Neruda even wrote about to inspire Chile to finally beat Brazil in a major tournament.

Main Course:  Coração de frango , or Brazilian grilled chicken hearts (as if to taunt the determination of their opposition), accompanying a complete Brazilian 11 cut churasco (to symbolize 11 Brazilian players), which is a meat orgy with a wide variety of the best meat in the world.

Brazil always gets the main course.

Desert drink: Pisco sour. The Chilean national drink to represent the souring of the Brazilian team, a feat the Chileans will surely attempt to cause.

Wine: Chilean, of course! A fine Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the sunny valley below the majestic peak of Aconcagua is enough to inspire an upset, or console a defeat.

Squad Analysis:

BRAZIL:

Unofficial Theme Song to Accompany Style of Play:

A clear choice... the absent Ronaldinho Gaucho playing the drums in a Paris night club to help his friend keep their samba rhythm going through this tournament...

Tactics: The Brazilian team has always been known for attacking. However, with the arrival of legendary defensive midfielder Dunga as coach, the Brazilians have staged a quiet revolution, improving Brazilian defending and discipline. The current team doesn't exhibit the fiery offensive attack of classic Brazil, but with improved discipline, the Brazilian national team look to be certain favourites for the finals.

The Brazilian tactical line up has best been described as 4-2-2-2. It involves four at the back, with offensive wingbacks being the tantalizing feature. They are accompanied by two ball winning defensive midfielders, two free roaming attacking midfielders who also act as wingers, and two forwards with a dedicated striker and a wide or playmaking forward. The tempo shifts are key, and keeping possession before exploding with pace and power is very important for Brazil.

Strengths: The individual ability of Brazil's players goes without question. Even with some of Brazil’s most capable players left out the squad, the discipline and unity the team has developed brought perfection on both offense and defence. 

Weakness:   Very few, except overpaid egos which can be upset if things don’t go their way. Luis Fabiano is a diver and a relatively unsportsmanlike player, as are some other members of the team... Robinho can be a bit of a diver, Lucio can be brutal as a tackler, and Felipe Melo can be overly aggressive. These can all lead to occasional card trouble from a non-Brazil-worshiping referee. However, this Brazil team is considerably cleaner compared to recent generations.

Key to beating Chile: Play like Brazil did in the first two games: attack and dampen the opponents attempts, not getting distracted or trying to play the referee.

Key Squad Members:

European Champion Julio Cesar might just be Brazil’s best keeper ever. He has few weaknesses, even though he was never considered a major talent until donning the Inter Milan gloves.

In Maicon, Brazil has a physically overpowering wingback that is currently on top of the world in his position. His goal against North Korea is already a thing of legend, as are numerous other goals of his when he goes forward, like the goal against Juventus in the Serie A this season. Oh, and he defends perfectly as well.

Lucio, the Brazil captain, led the Inter defence to the European triple crown this season, and is very much on top of his game, although opponents have gotten past him in this tournament.

Elano, the right sided attacking midfielder, is in better form than his more famous, more commercial counterpart Kaka, and has been crucial for Brazil thus far. The reddish-haired midfielder scored a brace of great goals, made some fantastic passes (although completed only a little over 60% of them), and has looked very motivated.

It's lucky that Ivory Coast’s Eboue managed not to break his leg, as the tournament would miss a major player. The injury leaves a probability that he will still be on the sidelines today. UPDATE: He is not in the starting line up.

Gilberto Silva’s sale of him to Panathinaikos was one of the great mistakes that Arsenal made. The defensive midfielder is the massive iron gate to the Brazilian defence, and not much gets past his tackling. The silent job he does on the field is as vital as coach Dunga’s for the 1994 team.

CHILE

Unofficial theme songs to accompany style of play:

Chilean rock band La Ley went far with their ballad “El Duelo” with the words “Sin dolor no te haces feliz.” Basically simplified to, “no pain no gain,” which is to say the Chileans have to hurt here if they are to achieve anything. Maybe Alexis Sanchez can reach the high notes of Mexican singer Ely Guerra’s astral vocals?

The tempo pick up near the end could be a useful tactic to imitate for the Chileans so that they can end on a climax! 

Tactics: Chile has a superbly talented generation and the 4-5-1 they deploy has been very effective in finding the back of opponents’ nets. No player in attack sticks to a set formula. Instead, their movements vary tremendously, meaning many surprises to their opponents defense. The wingers Matias Fernandez and Alexis Sanchez are highly skilled and full of surprises, but Matias has yet to show it in South Africa, while Alexis is something of a rising star this tournament.

Strengths: Decent in defence, and decent in the middle. If those two elements click, Chile creates many attacking opportunities. Unfortunately, finishing is only there when Humberto Suazo plays, and he has been recovering from injury.

Weaknesses: Injuries and suspensions. Three key players are out after a tough group battle. Gary Medel and Waldo Ponce are key to the Chilean defensive formation and Marco Estrada’s red against Spain was an additional loss to the midfield stability. Without these players Chile’s defence may or may not be able to deal with Brazil, whereas normally this team is capable of playing against the best. The Chilean subs are not bad players, just less experienced.

Key to beating Brazil: Finishing. Chile will produce some opportunities and entertain, but they have to start capitalizing on the creativity in front. If they are able to do that, anything can happen.

Key Squad Members:

Ismael Fuentes usually partners Waldo Ponce at club level with Universidad Catolica. The latter will be replaced today, but Fuentes is a resilient and tough central defender that can play against the best forwards Brazil will throw at him. Pablo Contreras of PAOK Thessaloniki is not a bad replacement and is certain to make an appearance today. If he and Fuentes can gel they will make a tough final line for the Brazilians to breach.

Arturo Vidal of Bayer Leverkusen has been a key player with his club this season, and his completeness as a defensive midfielder has been key to Chile’s incredible tempo and ability to retain possession.

Jorge Valdivia is now a star of the Emirati league, but his playmaking with Palmeiras in Brazil was extraordinary. He is a clever and creative player who knows how to breach Brazilian defences.

Mark “Speedy” Gonzalez, formerly of Liverpool and now Keisuke Honda’s colleague at CSKA Moscow, is a fast and dangerous winger. He will make a surprise start tonight and hope to fill in the holes that the Brazilian wingbacks leave behind them. 

Alexis Sanchez might be small, but this fast and technically brilliant winger has been making waves in Italy with youth-incubating Udinese, and has an impressive set of footballing achievements for being only 21. Can he cap his great play with a goal or two against Brazil? This is certainly the biggest game of his career so far.

Expected Result: Brazil take advantage of absent Chile players and hammer the Red-and-Blues 3-0.

A Slight Surprise: Chile manages to give Brazil hell, but loses 2-1.

A real shocker: Chile is fully capable of beating Brazil on a good day or with a dash of luck. They can win 3-2 or so, if they are efficient in front of the goal.

Obi Wan Asterix Says: Its hard to judge with the suspensions, but I will go out on a limb for fun, and because Chile has been fantastic in my eyes over the past two months. 3-2 to Chile. I have to be as daring as they need to be in my prediction!