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Chile was beating the reigning champs Spain at the time this was going to publication. They came into the 2014 World Cup with odds of 26-1 to win at BetDSI.com. A win against Spain would mean advancing out of the group stage.
Strengths
The strike pair of Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas has the potential to be very good for a long time as Sanchez is 25 and Vargas is 24, and they seem to have a good bond between them, so Chile is going to be a handful going forward. Sanchez is coming off his best season at Barcelona and he’ll be out to prove that he deserves to be a full-time starter, and he could end up being one of the stars of the tournament if he plays up to his potential.
He isn’t the only “big” name in the Chilean squad, however. Arturo Vidal has been lauded as one of the best midfielders in Europe and now gets to prove it in the spotlight, and he is ready for the World Cup after minor knee surgery. Captain Claudio Bravo leads the team from the back in goal, and his 79 appearances for the national team is the most on the squad.
Weaknesses
Bravo will have to be a leader defensively, because Chile might not be all that good along the back four. Gonzalo Jara leads the defenders with 65 caps, while Gary Medel is next with 60, but playing for Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City isn’t that encouraging. Eugenio Mena played in 11 World Cup qualifying games, so he is on the rise for Chile and he plays his club soccer in Brazil with Santos, so the crowds won’t bother him, but is he ready for the World Cup?
There is another strength to consider and that is Chile’s close proximity to Brazil. This essentially gives them some degree of home field advantage.
- Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com
