The Selecao of Brazil take on La Roja today at the Belo Horizonte in a game that sees Chile as the supreme underdogs. That’s not to say that these particular underdogs don’t have any bite; indeed seeing them in the last sixteen is a big, if pleasant surprise. For Brazil, Chelsea defender David Luiz took a knock to his back during training but will be expected to make selection. Paulinho is likely to be selected in midfield ahead of an increasingly impatient and competitive Fernandinho, with Scolari exclaiming earlier in the week “I have blind faith in Paulinho.” In the Chilean ranks, a muscle strain is making Gary Medel a doubt for today’s match, but he is working hard to be fit for selection. There are a total of eight players across both teams who are on yellow cards, including Vidal, Silva, Mena and Aranguiz for Chile, and Thiago Silva, Ramires, Neymar and Gustavo for Brazil. A yellow for any of these players today would see them out of the quarter finals, should their team triumph.
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Brazil Win 3-2 on penalties
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The squads have clashed 33 times where Brazil have won the lion share of the exchange with 21 victories.
This is the second straight time these two sides collide at the World Cup Round of 16. Both teams faced off in 2010 and 1998 as well where Brazil emerged victorious with a 4-1 score.
The Brazilians have won their last five World Cup second-round matches, with the only exception being a defeat against rivals Argentina at Italia ’90.
The Selecao have won 11 out of their last 12 matches and manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has yet to taste defeat in the World Cup with Brazil.
The hosts have not lost a competitive match at home since 1975.
Valencia striker Eduardo Vargas has scored in both previous meetings against Brazil.
The story is all too familiar for Chile. The celebrations of successfully qualifying for the World Cup knockout stage are met with the realisation that Brazil are up next – just like in 2010. And 1998. And both times, Chile’s World Cup ended in disappointment.
This is Chile’s ninth World Cup – and the fourth time that it has made it out of the group stages. Along with 1998 and 2010, Chile qualified for the knockout stage in 1962 – when it hosted the tournament. After defeating the Soviet Union in the quarter-final stage, Chile set up a semi-final against Brazil for the first of its World Cup disappointments due to the World Cup powerhouse that is Brazil, losing 4-2 after a pair of braces from Garrincha and Vava while Jorge Toro and Leonel Sanchez scored for the hosts before Honorino Landa and Garrincha were set off. Chile would go onto finish third in 1962, defeating Yugoslavia in the playoff while Brazil won its second World Cup.
It would be another 36 years before Chile progressed further than the Group Stage – and in 1998 it conceded another four goals to Brazil – the first of its round of 16 disappointments. That day, Cesar Sampaio and Ronaldo both scored two goals each while Marcelo Salas scored the lone Chilean goal. Finally, in 2010 Chile lost 3-0 – with goals from Juan, Luis Fabiano and Robinho.
Chile’s post-group stage record in the World Cup is a total of five matches old, consisting of two wins and three, Brazilian, defeats. Will it be 2-4 after its latest knockout match against Brazil or will this be Chile’s monkey off its back moment – by defeating Brazil on its home soil and then progressing deep into the competition?
Of course, what happened in 1962, 1998 or 2010 will have no predictive value on this match, it’s simply more of a talking point. Chile will have Arturo Vidal back in its line-up to face Brazil and he has been talking up his nations chances: “Brazil has often been Chile’s nemesis but football changes, new generations come and new players appear,
“We’ve beaten the world champions, so we can beat Brazil.”
Chile’s Brazilian hurdle to cross goes further than its record in the World Cup knockout stages. In 70 meetings between the two nations, Chile have won seven times and drawn 13 – meaning that Brazil have beaten La Roja on fifty occasions (a 71.4% win rate). Its last victory was in a World Cup qualifier in 2000, losing 10 of the 12 meetings since that 3-0 win – but Chile have never defeated A Seleção in Brazil.
Nonetheless, Chile have impressed many in this World Cup with its high energy pressing and its pace and strength going forward. While Arturo Vidal is essentially still returning to fitness after his knee surgery, he’s likely to be the key man for Chile – as a healthy Vidal can dominate the midfield zone or can play behind Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas in the number ten role. The Juventus man is good enough to play anywhere in the side and therein lies his threat; scoring 11 and assisting 5 goals in Serie A last term, averaging 0.59 goal contributions and 1.73 shot assists on a per 90 minute basis – certainly strong numbers for an attacking midfielder – but also being a strong passer (57.79 passes per 90 with 87.1% accuracy), strong in the air (1.59 aerials won per 90) and tough in the tackle (4.79 tackles per 90). Either way, with the impressive Charles Aranguiz (who had a hand in both goals against Spain) and Marcelo Diaz alongside him, Chile can more than match Brazil in this area of field.
The strike partnership of Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas has also been a Chilean strength, with both players scoring and assisting once in the group stage, as Sanchez leads the side in shot assists (5) and successful dribbles (16 – the second highest in the tournament behind Lionel Messi). Furthermore, the Barcelona striker overshadowed Neymar in La Liga last season as his 1.09 non-penalty goal contributions per 90 only trailed Messi (1.19) in the high-scoring Barça attack, with Neymar ranking fourth (0.83). It’s not surprising to see Sanchez being linked to other clubs this summer and he’s showing at this World Cup how strong he can be leading the front line rather than being just a cog in a potent attack.
Possible Lineups:
Brazil (4-2-3-1): Júlio César; Marcelo, David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Dani Alves; Luiz Gustavo, Fernandinho; Neymar, Oscar, Hulk; Fred.
Chile (3-4-1-2): Claudio Bravo; Gonzalo Jara, Gary Medel, Francisco Silva; Eugenio Mena, Marcelo Díaz, Charles Aránguiz, Mauricio Isla; Arturo Vidal; Eduardo Vargas, Alexis Sánchez.
