Attack, Attack, Attack! La Roja Ready to Take Game to Brazil

This is what is has to come to for La Roja. A Round of 16 match against the most successful team in World Cup history. If Chile against Brazil doesn't get the heartbeat going then nothing will.

History is against Bielsa's men. The last all South American tie at the World Cup was in 1998 between the same teams. Brazil ran out 4-1 winners that day on their way to yet another World Cup final.

The only other encounter between Chile and Brazil at the World Cup was the semi-final in Santiago in 1962. Again A Seleção turned on the style, registering a 4-2 win.

So the annals tell us that when Brazil play Chile in football's leading competition, three things happen. The men in yellow and green win, they score 4 goals and go on to make the final.

Chile can't take much heart from the qualification process either. Brazil triumphed 3-0 in Santiago and 4-2 in Salvador. And yet, and yet...there are still grounds for optimism for Monday's encounter.

Thankfully Bielsa sees the match as an opportunity:

'One is always enthusiastic to change history when history is not favourable. Each match gives us the opportunity to do that and tomorrow's match is a very attractive opportunity for us to reverse that trend.'

Fine words and his adoring public in Santiago can take a lot of positives from the performances so far. The opening two games, that secured the points needed to progress to the next round, were full of attacking football and positivity. They were unlucky not to score more goals against Honduras and Switzerland and were comfortably the better team in both matches.

Yes they lost to Spain but after a crazy first half in which enthusiasm got the better of them, they re-grouped well at the break, pulled a goal back and restricted the Spanish to any further goals, despite playing with ten men. Again they played with skill and invention. In Alexis Sanchez they have one of the genuine stars of the tournament and surely one day he is going to get on the score sheet.

But that first half in Pretoria has seriously hampered their chances against Dunga's team. They will be without key defenders Gary Medel and Waldo Ponce through suspension and also Marco Estrada after his unfortunate red card. Better news is that Carlos Carmona and Matias Fernandez are available for selection after missing the Spain game.

Bielsa has some head-scratching to do before selecting his starting XI. Is the time now right to bring Humberto 'Chupete' Suazo in from the cold? His battle to shake off his hamstring injury dominated the media in the weeks leading up to the World Cup. But so far he's only managed to play for 45 minutes - the first half against the Swiss. Now would be the perfect moment to make a goal-scoring return to action. If there has been one criticism of La Roja so far it's been their wastefulness in front of goal.

There is better injury and suspension news for Brazil with Kaka, Robinho and Elano all expected to return to the starting line-up after missing the game against Portugal. Felipe Melo, one of their key ball winners in midfield, is the only injury concern.

Bielsa is under no illusions about the challenge that awaits:

'Brazil are always a side to be afraid of. They still have all the creative attributes of football typical to Brazil as well as a certain amount of aggressiveness.'

His comments are, as ever, insightful. Any number of Brazilian players are capable of producing a moment of sublime skill in an instant but in their matches so far they have proved that they are also one of the most physical teams in South Africa. A potent combination, even if the fans in Rio, Sao Paulo and Salvador would prefer more emphasis on the Beautiful Game rather than the Brutal Game.

Meanwhile in Santiago, the reaction will be unprecedented if they pull off one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. After qualification was secured on Friday the masses descended on Plaza Italia once again with their flags, chants and obligatory horns. The excitement in the air was palpable and it took some shock tactics on the police's part to clear the scene. Come Monday, any fan would accept a blast from a water cannon in exchange for a famous victory.

It's all to play for. Chile's biggest match since that last meeting with Brazil in 1998. Everything points to an open game. Will the status quo be preserved or is this the time for a change in fortunes? Time will tell but maybe, just maybe, they have more to offer this time around.

What's Maradona Up To?

Always worth checking-in with Maradona to see what's on the maestro's mind. He never disappoints.

He's in combative mood, taking on the press once again:

'Many journalists should apologize to the players. I'm not suggesting you drop your trousers, but it would be honest and great so we all get along better.'

After his pledge to run around the Obelisco in BA naked, he's clearly got something of an obsession with nudity.

But give the guy a break - he just wants a little respect:

'I am turning 50 and I am not bitter. But I get annoyed when people don't respect my players.

It isn't easy going from being nobodies back home to winning three matches at a World Cup.

"At a training camp, we had to swallow what you (journalists) all said about being a disaster, the worst Argentine team you had ever seen.

"All of a sudden we're an excellent team... the most handsome people in the 'barrio'!"

Messi and co will be looking to strut their stuff around the neighbourhood against Mexico on Sunday to try and gain a few more admiring glances. Little doubt that all eyes will be on Diego.

Chile Qualifies, Santiago Erupts

Plaza Italia was again the venue of choice as football-mad Chile fans celebrated La Roja's qualification to the second phase.

The parties to celebrate the wins against Honduras and Switzerland were one thing, but the euphoria reached a completely new level on Friday afternoon following the narrow defeat to the Spanish.

Here are some images:

Suarez Fires Uruguay To The Quarter-Finals

Uruguay 2 South Korea 1, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Uruguay's terrific run at this World Cup continued with a hard-fought win over South Korea. The winning goal would have been a fitting conclusion to any game: Luis Suarez curling a wonderful shot from the edge of the box onto the post and into the net.

His celebrations were equally as good to watch, kissing his shirt; jumping ecstatically over the advertising hoardings and running to the warm embrace of his team-mates in the pouring rain in Port Elizabeth. Coach Tabarez joined in, leaping off the bench with a roar of joy, fists pumped and completely oblivious to the downpour.

South Korea put up a determined showing and can count themselves unlucky that they didn't take the game to extra-time. The difference between the two teams was probably the quality of strikers. Uruguay has Suarez and Forlan, two players who are putting in consistent performances and providing the cutting edge that is necessary in any successful team.

Suarez is now the joint leading-scorer in South Africa with 3 goals. He has scored 55 goals in 61 games this season for Ajax and Uruguay. He could be on any number of shopping lists this summer.

Not only did he grab the winner, but also the opening goal in the first half. Forlan was the provider, crossing from the left to his mate who had the simplest task of tapping home. But unfortunately it will have to go down as another goalkeeping clanger with Jung Sung-Ryong caught between staying on his line and coming for the ball. In the end he did neither. Suarez accepted the gift with glee.

Korea came back strongly in the second half, showing great energy and ultimately finding the equaliser. A bit of a scramble in the box led to Lee Chung-Yong heading into the empty net. With the winds in their sails they might have thought this was their day.

But Suarez ultimately made the difference and he could have had a hat-trick. Before his superb second he was left completely unmarked in the box but couldn't get his weak header on target. He more than made up for it five minutes later.

It's La Celeste's best World Cup return since 1970 when they reached the semi-finals. They won't have a better chance to emulate that achievement with Ghana or USA waiting in the quarters.

And before we sign off let's take a quick look at Tabarez' pre-match comments. Sounds like he wants to give Maradona a run for his money in the off-the-wall soundbite stakes:

'There's a saying among coaches that football is like a short blanket: it covers your head or it covers your feet, and if it covers your head, your toes are in the air.'

If it's a saying among coaches then they clearly have their own secret code. Maybe Bielsa or Maradona could shed some light on the blanket issue. Having your toes in the air doesn't sound conducive to playing the beautiful game so maybe he's got a point.

In fact anything in the air is a no-no for wise old Oscar:

'We don't want to build castles in the sky, but we are certainly not going to give up on anything and my players have shown that in each of the matches they have played so far.'

One thing that is clear is that things are warming up nicely back home in Uruguay:

'Apparently, our matches are being watched in schools and in shopping malls, and children and young people are following us back home. There seems to be a link between this team and the people of Uruguay.

Whether that will be enough to progress in the tournament, we will have to see as we play our matches. But Uruguayans have decided that they have reason to party, and we hope that will be the case today.'

Party on Uruguay.

How they lined up: Muslera, Lugano (Captain), Godin (Victorino, 46), Fucile, Pereira, Pereira (Lodeiro, 74), Perez, Arevalo Rios, Cavani, Suarez (Fernandez , 84), Forlan

Breathless Encounter Sees Chile Through

Chile 1 Spain 2, Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria

So the bare facts are these. Chile, despite losing to Spain 2-1, make it a clean sweep for the South American teams in the 2010 World Cup. For the first time ever five South American teams progress to the second round. Chile will play Brazil on Monday in one of many mouth-watering Round of 16 ties.

But these facts do not even begin to describe the drama that unfolded at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria. Or the lack of discipline Chile showed on the big stage. La Roja began in the positive fashion that has been typical of their performances in South Africa so far. But then they pressed the self-destruct button and it is to their credit, and Bielsa's management, that they somehow found a way back into the match and did enough to qualify.

Were the players too pumped up? In a frantic opening period, there were some reckless tackles and Chile can have no complaints over the resulting yellow cards. The pressure Chile were exerting on Spain was impressive but they just went too far and Medel and Ponce were soon in the book. What's more they both now miss the next game. Ponce was particularly stupid, kicking out at Torres for no apparent reason and he was lucky to avoid a straight red. Then Estrada followed suit, diving into a tackle when prudence was the order of the day.

But despite these aberrations Chile were making all the running and playing some sparkling football. Alexis was heavily involved again, showing some delightful touches and incisive dribbling. Then a delightful dummy and spin from Beausejour saw him set free in the box. Unfortunately his cross was just behind Gonzalez and the ex-Liverpool man couldn't find the target with his shot.

Bookings aside, so far so good. Then came a further moment of madness, this time from captain and keeper, Bravo. He charged out of his box to deny Torres but instead of sending the ball into row Z, he put it straight into the path of Villa. The Barca man still had much to do but a delightful left-foot chip saw the Spaniards take the lead.

Beausejour almost made the perfect response but his attempted dink over captain Casillas was deflected just wide. But Chile were more than making a game of this one.

Until further disaster struck. A patient move from Spain led to Iniesta slotting home from just inside the box. To be 2-0 down was bad enough but then a glance at the referee, nicknamed Dracula in his native Mexico, saw him brandishing a red card at Estrada. Replays were needed to discover the reason why and looking at the incident again it looked harsh. It seemed that Estrada had clipped Torres' heels but how much intent was there was highly debatable. Hard to take but now a third Chilean player was suspended for the next round.

Half-time was needed and quickly.

Biesla decided on two changes at half-time. Surely a wise decision when playing with ten men to keep legs fresh. Millar and Paredes were on for Valdivia and Sanchez and the double substitution made immediate dividends. A smart piece of build-up play led to Millar receiving the ball on the edge of the area. His speculative shot took a wicked deflection of Pique and the ball was nestling in the back of the net. Game on and just the piece of luck that La Roja needed.

But with Fabregas now on the field and controlling possession for Spain , Chile, with a man down, couldn't create any further chances. Sanchez looked like being the one man who could give them some respite from the Spanish pressure but he was surprisingly removed from the fray, Orellana on his place.

The match then slowly ground to a standstill as both teams realised that, with Switzerland drawing with Honduras, the result was enough to see them both through. A rather farcical stand-off ensued with Spain happy to stroke the ball around the half-way line. Biesla's men seemed to accept the situation and the roar in the stadium and around Santiago that greeted the final whistle proved that the public were fully behind them.

After a breathless and action-packed first half when it looked like the wheels were coming off their World Cup campaign, maybe you couldn't blame their caution. If they can play with the same intensity and invention while keeping their heads at the same time, they can give anyone at this tournament a game.

Roll on Monday.

First stop - Plaza Italia.

How they lined up: Bravo (Captain), Carrizo (Yellow card), Isla, Medel (Yellow card), Jara, Vidal, Valdivia (Millar, 46),Gonzalez (Paredes, 46), Estrada (Yellow/ Red card), Sanchez (Orellana, 65), Beausejour

Brazil Bypass Beautiful Game

Brazil 0 Portugal 0, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban

Not a great deal to get the pulse racing in Durban as Brazil and Portugal played out a fairly tame scoreless draw. It's the first time Brazil have failed to score in a World Cup match since 1978 and by the end they looked completely devoid of ideas and inspiration.

But Dunga's men duly top the group and they will play the runners-up of Chile's group on Monday. Portugal join them in the last 16 and will play the winners of La Roja's group on Tuesday. Some intriguing matches on the horizon.

Brazil dominated possession in both halves but they looked more threatening in the first period, particularly down the right where Maicon and Alves were combining well. The best chance fell to Nilmar but his flicked shot was expertly turned on to the post by Portuguese keeper, Eduardo. Shortly after, Fabiano was hanging his head in shame as his header failed to find the target from point-blank range.

But we actually saw more of the physical side of A Seleção than the flowing football we have become accustomed to. There were endless niggly fouls and the teams shared 7 yellow cards in total, resulting in 5 minutes of added time at the end of the game. Melo's booking in the opening period was particularly cynical. He was substituted soon after, maybe to ensure he didn't get sent off.

Brazil were lucky to escape worse punishment. Firstly a blatant handball from Juan prevented a flying Ronaldo from bearing down on goal. As the last man he was fortunate to escape with a yellow card. Then Tiago was booked for diving in the box when on another day it could well have been a penalty for Portugal.

Come the second half, Portugal looked the more dangerous team, counter-attacking with pace on the break. Ronaldo was starting to time his runs well and he was freed a couple of times down the left. But the final, killer pass was never forthcoming. When the Real Madrid man was thwarted again by Lucio after another burst at goal the ball did, at last, fall to a team mate. But Meireles' shot on the run produced a fine save from Julio Cesar.

There could have been late drama when, from a Portugal free-kick, Lucio looked to have handled the ball. But there weren't too many appeals from Ronaldo et al and the moment passed. With neither team really pushing hard enough for victory, a draw was a fair result.

When the stakes are higher let's hope we see a better showing from Brazil. One thing Dunga probably learned is that he needs to have his first choice eleven on the pitch. Without Kaka (suspended), Elano (injured) and Robinho (rested) they simply couldn't find a way through a very well-organised Portuguese defence.

After this performance and in a World Cup full of surprises are Brazil still favourites? And if not them, who? Make no mistake, this tournament is wide open.

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