Chile / Dave Farrar / 18 May 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Chile look in good nick under a coach who's been there and done it over the years. This is a much more attack-minded side than in previous editions and if their strikers fire we can see Chile make the last sixteen at the very least.

"They’ve looked scared and played like they were in someone’s shadow, but now they seem ready to dazzle, and then try to get lucky against Brazil. Twice in qualifying they were beaten 3-0 at home, first by Paraguay and then Brazil, and twice they bounced straight back with a win."

If you watch as many youth football tournaments as I generally do, then you'd know that Chile have consistently produced group after group of young talented players over the last ten years or so. But, they've never quite managed to train on and provide even a measure of success at a major tournament.

The appointment of the man who so disappointed at the helm of Argentina, Marcelo Bielsa, may just have changed that, and Chile go to South Africa with a very real prospect of making the second round.

The problem that they'll face then is that their likely opponents will be Brazil, but I suppose they'll need to cross that bridge when they come to it. They qualified by playing brave, attacking football and that approach was at odds with the one that we've seen from previous generations.

They've looked scared and played like they were in someone's shadow, but now they seem ready to dazzle, and then try to get lucky against Brazil. Twice in qualifying they were beaten 3-0 at home, first by Paraguay and then Brazil, and twice they bounced straight back with a win.

It shows a steel that they've developed under Bielsa, and they're justifiably strong second favourites behind Spain to make it through to the last 16. It will be interesting to see what happens when Chile play Spain in their final group match in Pretoria.

If both teams have maximum points, which is possible, then will he go for the jugular and try to catch Del Bosque's team cold in the knowledge that a win could give them a chance of going through to the quarters (while a defeat would mean almost certain elimination)? We'll have to see just how ambitious the Chileans are. In fact they need to attack throughout as that's what they're best at.

Both Switzerland and Honduras are defensive sides and Chile won't beat them at their own game, but the fact that Bielsa is likely to encourage his young group of players to express themselves means that there should be fireworks wherever the men in red turn up.

Coach

Marcelo Bielsa

He handled himself with dignity when Argentina flopped in 2002, and the faith that the Argentine FA showed in him then tells us how impressive he is. He nearly rewarded them when they finished as runners up in the Copa America in 2004, and I suppose gave them something to hold onto when Argentina won Olympic gold the same year.
His resignation ended up being something of a surprise and he had a period out of the game before returning with Chile. He's one of those Wenger-style coaches who loves detail, and will know everything about every opposition player. If anyone can convert Chilean talent into something tangible, then it's him.

Key Players

Matias Fernandez

Like his coach, Fernandez is Argentine born, but moved to Chile as a young boy. He will play just behind Bielsa's front 3 and is the creative spark for the team. He's one of those players who's better at international level than he is for his club, Sporting Lisbon, as so much responsibility is invested in him by Bielsa. He needs a big tournament to allow the rest of the team to flourish.

Gary Medel

Medel will be Fernandez' guardian in midfield. He goes by the evocative name of "Pitbull" and certainly deserves it. I first saw him as an 18 year old in Toulon, when he was actually a fairly good ball playing midfielder, but there's no doubt that his job in South Africa will be to act as enforcer for a side which certainly needs one.

Claudio Bravo

Given the open style that Chile play, their goalkeeper is obviously an important figure, and Bravo looked a good player in the qualifiers. Given that he's in behind a very shaky back four, which contains Gonzalo Jara of West Brom, he, like a few other keepers at this tournament, looks set to get plenty of practice.

Recommended Bet:

Back Chile to Qualify @ [1.74]

Tags: Chile football team, Chile players, Marcelo Bielsa, World Cup bets, World Cup players, World Cup tips