GROUP B
SPAIN
NETHERLANDS
CHILE
AUSTRALIA
POSSIBLE STARTING XI
CLAUDIO BRAVO
Goalkeeper
His height allows him
to be strong in the air.
He also possesses
the ability to distribute
the ball from the back.
ARTURO VIDAL
Midfielder
His passing is
exceptional; his
tackling; and ability
to read the game is
outstanding.
GONZALO JARA
Defender
He is a versatile
defender and also
can play in either
full-back role or as
a centre-back.
GARY MEDEL
Centre-back
He can play in
every position in the
defence, even as a
sweeper, or a right
back.
THE KEY PLAYER: Arturo Vidal, arguably the most complete midfield player in world football within their ranks
CHILE
FIXTURES
June 13, Cuiaba
Versus Australia
June 18, Rio de Janeiro
Versus Spain
June 23, Sao Paolo
Versus Netherlands
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
CONMEBOL round robin,
third place
WORLD CUP RECORD
1962 Third place
APPEARANCES
9 (1930, 1950, 1962, 1966,
1974, 1982, 1998, 2010,
2014)
FIFA WORLD RANKING
13th (March 2014)
Chile have been hotly tipped as a potential outsider
for a deep run into the tournament.
The reason why? Well, they have many, many
things in their favour going into this World Cup. First and
foremost, they will be well acquainted with the conditions and
resultantly should have no problems implementing Sampaoli’s
high-intensity, high-pressure brand of football.
As such they will have the capabilities at hand to
disrupt the opposition and keep the ball for long periods
themselves. And with the implementation of their unorthodox
3-4-3 system, they are capable of maintaining possession
exceptionally well. The whole team are completely at ease
with the ball at their feet and they can run opposition sides
ragged with their sharp passing and subtle movements.
Sampaoli loves his team to play in an aggressive and
attacking manner, meaning players like Alexis Sanchez and
Eduardo Vargas pop up in various attacking positions and
cause mayhem in the opposition backlines. But they also play
a key role when pressing the ball, as th H