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World Cup 2010 Teams – Chile

Chile is seen as one of the World Cup dark horses. An impressive South American qualifying campaign saw the Chileans finish only one point behind group winners Brazil. With a strong squad capable of playing attractive football, Chile will be looking to impress in South Africa.

Qualifying Campaign

Chile did well to finish second in the tough South American World Cup qualifying group. 10 wins, 5 losses and 3 draws meant that the Chileans finished only one point behind Brazil. Paraguay equalled Chile’s points total but ended up in third place due to a slightly inferior goal difference. Argentina, meanwhile, was disappointing, scraping into fourth place a full 5 points below Chile.

The Chileans failed to beat Brazil, losing 3-0 at home and 4-2 away. They did, however, manage to claim a valuable 1-0 home win against Argentina. Considering that the Chileans picked up 7 red cards during the campaign, they did very well indeed.

World Cup History

Chile was one of the thirteen teams to compete in the first ever World Cup in 1930. The Chileans beat both France and Mexico before losing a decisive game against Argentina, sending them out of the tournament. Since Uruguay 1930, Chile has been inconsistent in qualifying and largely unimpressive when actually competing in the World Cup. The one exception was a third-place finish in 1962, when Chile hosted the competition.

South Africa 2010 will see Chile competing in its eighth World Cup finals. The South Americans will be looking to at least match their France 1998 performance where they got through Group B before crashing out to Brazil.

The Coach

Chile is managed by former Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa. Bielsa began his playing career with Argentine club Newell's Old Boys, but retired at the early age of 25. Pursuing a coaching career, he later took charge of Newell’s before a move to Mexican club FC Atlas. In 1998, Bielsa signed for Espanyol but soon moved on when offered the job of managing Argentina.

With Bielsa in charge, Argentina won gold in the 2004 Olympic Games. However, Bielsa resigned later that year. He took charge of Chile in 2007 and soon set about reinventing the team. He has brought a crop of young and talented players in to the squad, and the Chileans are now playing a more attacking and flamboyant style of football. Bielsa is fast becoming a national hero in Chile, quite an achievement for an Argentine.

The Players

Bielsa has worked hard to build a squad with enough depth and balance to compete at the highest level. Chile now has a strong group of players, most of whom play top-flight football for clubs in both South America and Europe.

Waldo Ponce, Gary Medel, Gonzalo Jara and Bayer Leverkusen’s Arturo Vidal are likely to start in defence for Chile. In midfield, watch out for three of Chile’s talented young midfielders, Matías Fernández, Carlos Carmona and Mauricio Isla, all of whom play for top European clubs. Rodrigo Tello and Claudio Maldonado (if fit) can add more experience to the midfield if deemed necessary.

Real Zaragoza’s Humberto Suazo is Chile’s key player. The striker finished as top scorer in the South American qualifying group; his 10 goals put him one ahead of Brazil’s Luís Fabiano. 21 year-old Udinese striker Alexis Sánchez will also be a player to keep an eye on.

Group H

Chile has been drawn in Group H alongside Spain, Switzerland and Honduras. The Spanish are amongst the favourites to win the entire competition and are likely to dominate Group H. Switzerland did well to finish on top of its World Cup qualifying group despite a lack of big-name players. Honduras is ranked 37th in the world according to FIFA, and is playing in its first World Cup finals since 1982.

Group Matches and Analysis

The Chileans will be looking to secure a second-place finish in Group H. The Spanish look set to dominate the group, leaving Chile, Switzerland and Honduras to battle it out between themselves.

Chile will play Spain in its final group game, so wins against both Honduras and Switzerland will be vital. The Hondurans are a capable team, built around talented Tottenham midfielder Wilson Palacios and striker David Suazo. The Swiss are solid but lack enough flair and creativity to pose a great attacking threat.

The Chileans seem to have greater depth and all-round ability than these two teams, perhaps giving them the edge in both encounters. It won’t be a formality, but Chile should be able to claim a second-place finish in Group H. If they do finish as runners-up then they will face the winners of Group G and a potential South American showdown against Brazil.

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