Brazil 1-1 Chile (Penalties 3-2): Selecao narrowly advance.
Contrary to expectations, Brazil failed to "crush" their neighbor Chile. The Selecao still advanced to the quarterfinals, but they kept their fans in suspense.
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| Brazil wins after a hard-fought penalty shootout. |
GOAL
Brazil: Luiz (18')
Chile: A. Sanchez (32')
The first match of the round of 16 was exciting right from the start. It was understandable that the host nation Brazil played offensively, but even Chile showed no fear, frequently pushing their formation high into the opponent's half.
In the 18th minute, Brazil took the lead after a lightning-fast combination play between their central defenders. From a corner kick, T. Silva headed the ball across the goal, and it rolled into the Chilean net amidst the chaos. The goal was credited to David Luiz, but a replay showed it appeared to be an own goal by defender Gonzalo Jara.
Having taken an early lead, it seemed the Selecao would easily overwhelm Chile, as they had done in their three previous World Cup encounters. However, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari's team was surprised by the reaction from their neighbors. Chile's pressure caused the Brazilian defenders to make a series of mistakes.
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In the 32nd minute, following a simple throw-in, the Brazilian defenders lost possession to Vargas, who crossed the ball to Sanchez in a favorable position. The Barcelona striker easily beat goalkeeper Cesar with a shot into the far corner. Finding an early equalizer helped Chile avoid being overwhelmed by the immense stature of the five-time World Cup champions.
Opportunities were created continuously in the final 10 minutes of the first half. In the 36th minute, Neymar headed the ball from a favorable position, but it hit the shoulder of an opposing defender and went out. Three minutes later, Fred shot over the crossbar while unmarked. In the 42nd minute, Brazil nearly paid the price for a lapse in concentration from their defense; from a long pass from a teammate, Vidal faced goalkeeper Cesar, but his shot was too weak.
In the 55th minute, Hulk put the ball into the net against Chile, but he even received a yellow card when the referee deemed the Zenit striker to have handled the ball. After that incident, the middle minutes of the second half saw Chile's resurgence. The pressure from their opponents left the Selecao truly bewildered.
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The 65th minute presented Chile with their best chance. During a wing attack, the ball was crossed into the penalty area for Aranguiz, but his powerful direct shot was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Cesar. In the final minutes of the second half, Brazil had several opportunities, but Jo, Alves, and Hulk all missed their chances.
Brazil pushed forward in extra time. However, the Selecao didn't create many truly dangerous opportunities; it was Chile who had a great chance in the final minute of injury time when Pinilla's shot hit the crossbar. The match had to be decided by a penalty shootout.
Entering the decisive penalty shootout, Brazil proved luckier than Chile, missing only two penalties compared to La Roja's three. Coach Felipe Scolari's team were fortunate to secure their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate victory after a tense penalty shootout.
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| Brazil defeated Chile in a penalty shootout with a total score of 3-2. |
STARTING LINEUP
Brazil: J. Cesar; Alves, T.Silva, Luiz, Marcelo, Fernandinho (Ramires 72'), Gustavo, Hulk, Oscar (Willian 106'), Neymar, Fred (Jo 64').
Chile: Bravo; Isla, F.Silva, Medel (Rojas 108'), Jara, Mena, Aranguiz, Vidal (Pinilla 87'), Diaz, Sanchez, Vargas (F.Gutierrez 57').
