CHILE-Australia, 13 de Junio en Cuiabá (Mundial 2014) [R]

Not much to add that hasn't been said already.

The big positive was the result. I would have taken a 2-1 at half-time because Australia was enjoying a paddock of space in midfield to run into as they got into the game (Vidal and Valdivia were well below their top level). As I said a few times before the game, the most important thing in these circumstances is to get off to a good start and, in this case, earn the 3 points.

On a side note, while I think that Medel was average on the night, the Cahill goal wasn't his fault. This was the consequence of poor defensive positioning, and it was made worse by not playing a defensive midfielder to help break down Australian attacks. You can't leave Medel alone at the back with the lone centre forward of the opposition, especially when he wins 90% of balls in the air (I rate Cahill up there with the very best headers in the game in the last two decades).

By scoring Chile's third, Beausejour became the first Chilean player in history to score goals in separate world cups. Good moment for the guy.

 

We have been playing crap these last 3 matches... yet we have won the all anyway.

I can't wait to see what we can do once we actually get our shit together.

 

Like all of you of course I suffered especially in the second half, when in large part our game was less intense and not as crisp. Still, I think that there may be several positives besides the result. No injuries, the players were not drained by full out intensity over 90 plus minutes, and a heartened and dangerous Australia that may give Holland and Spain some difficulties.

 

Good stuff: I would add that only Aránguiz was carded. Certainly less worrying than if Sánchez, Medel or Vidal were cautioned.

 

Sorry to disagree, but by the time the match ended, Mena was almost to the point of "crawling", couldn't even jog normally, couldn't jump, and whenever he got the ball, he kicked it anywhere with no sense of direction. He was completely wasted and an "open door" for the australian attack (he had to continue, as Sampaoli had already used all its substitutions).

 

I thought Chile and Australia showed top physical peak. The game was in large part played with high intensity besides the big factor, the heat and humidity.

 

All of Chile's games are played with high intensity which is why we can't afford anyone jogging at 50%. Vidal not participating in the pressing and Isla not tracking back enough meant that Aranguiz, Diaz and Mena had to run a marathon.

If everyone presses at the same time our chances of recovering the ball increase and once we get the ball we can let 'it' do the running.

 

Well its plausible that Vidal is better than he was versus Australia. I think he should start.

 

Playing with Vidal, given his current condition is almost as playing with 10 players against Spain.
Aranguiz with Mena, will not resist more than a half period trying to compensate, this weakness in our team.

Spain is not going to play a contemplative game. Very likely that they will play at full speed trying to waste our players. We can't give them that sort of advantage, no matter how much Vidal wants to play (he always wants to play, and he doesn't care if he plays bad and damages the rest of the team with his selfish attitude).
Vidal is not 100 % fit yet, to last a full 90 minute match against Spain (he may enter afterwards, though, but would be preferable to not start with him).

 

Why 10? he was normal, not horrible nor good. Just that we are so used to him being a good factor in the match. Plus, one assumes he is better now than he was vs Australia. Now, I dont want to get in a debate you on this, I know your position and respect it, however, in my opinion, he should be played.

 

He was not normal, as he wasn't running no one during the match so he wasn't moving all around the pitch as he used to do before he got his injury, which forced his team mates to do the tough job (mainly Aranguiz and Mena were covering him). This shit wastes them lots faster as they must run lots more. Against Australia is one thing, as they play more defensively and don't present full force attacks, but against Spain, it would be suicidal to ask them for that, as when spain moves forward, they move all their lines, so in order to press them you must have almost one man for each spanish player, or else the whole pressing issue fails. More so if what is pretended to be done high up the field, where if your opponent gets past you, he will reach your back line in no time, creating an opportunity to score.

This has nothing to do with his healing process. Its just about his actual physical condition the one that is affecting him now, which gives certain advantages to the opponent. Advantages that we as a team, can't really afford to make against top teams as Spain or the Netherlands.

 

I mean he was average, performance wise.

 

Yes he was average going forward against Australia, but when Australia was coming towards us, he didn't exist.
One of Vidal's greatest virtues is his abbility to recover balls, and against Australia he did not recover one single ball.
Our whole team looked bad, true, but a lot of it was due to Vidal's incappacity to help his team mates, in recovering the ball.
Against Australia it was lots easier as they usually attacked from one front, but Spain is going to use all fronts of the pitch. Even Valdivia did more than him in this aspect, an issue where Valdivia has never been much good at, (and by doing this extra job, he also can't endure the whole match). So keeping him for a longer time will only mean that before the match ends, Chile will have to replace 1st Vidal (reasonable switch given his recovery condition), 2nd and 3rd, some of those who got completely wasted, which leaves the team without the possibility to make any tactical replacements afterwards and also leaves in the pitch some players that despite how tired they may be, as there will be no possible sustitution (case of Aranguiz and Mena, against Australia), whom will have to finnish the game.

 

I didnt see Valdivia doing more defensively than Vidal. Anyway, I think he feels different than how he played vs Australia.

 

And so, you willing to risk our chances to go through or get kicked out from this WC, because he "thinks" he is OK to play, when for last game he also "thought" he was OK, but at the end failed miserably ?

This is Spain the team we are confronting now, my friend. The number 1 ranked team of the world.
We aren't up to experiment against them in the most important tournament that exists, which is the WC. One mistake and these guys are going to roll over us, as if we were marbles.

No.
I say to bench Vidal and accordingly to how the match evolves, if we need him, he may enter the 2nd half or even later, when most spanish players will be more tired. Not to start with him, when the spanish players will be at their 100 %, or else we will crash very fast in this WC.

 

He did not fail miserably, my friend. Also, he has been training all these days, Sampaoli and everyone else has seen him, if he has been performing horribly he simply will be bunched.

 

If he did not fail miserably, he wouldn't have kicked the bottle when he was replaced.

He knows perfectly well that he sucked as he rarelly could keep himself where the ball was being played. He recognized it afterwards, where he said that he kicked the bottle as he was mad that he didn't perform as how he expected it to be (not because he didn't wanted to be replaced, as many reporters thought what that was about).

 

He kicked the bottle because he performed way below what we are used to from him. I dont thin he would say he failed "miserably".

 

No. I said he failed miserably.
He wouldn't say that of himself.

This is exactly the same thing as a person who has stolen something, he at most will recognize he "took" something that was not his, but will not say directly that he robbed it. It's for neutrals to qualify him, as they see him.
And to me he failed miserably, being the main reason why our team looked so bad. We played that game with 10,5 players, while Australia used 11. Against Australia, we can afford that sort of risk, but against Spain we need the 100 - 110 % of each of our players if we want to really win, because as they are hurt, that is what Spain is going to use against us. And let me remind you, they did not win the 2 last Euro's and the last WC out of a fluke, but through the overall quality of their team, which despite their recent defeat, they still got it in them.

 

Well, im not going to go on for 20 more pages with you saying he failed miserably and me saying he did ok, bad by his standards. I know Spains quality, which is exactly why I want him on. Lets see what happens and lets agree to disagree.

 

I still think he can make a difference, but only in the last 30-15 minutes when our opponents are also not at 100%.

 

Hello Tim Cahill, this is Chile calling, I can't hear you MF.

 

Well shit, he played pretty well against Spain (except one stupid foul on Iniesta near our area).

 

I liked the fact that Silva played really well. Nobody trusted the guy before. And some people didn't want him on the 23 man roster.