June 24, 2010
World Cup South Africa 2010 - Chile defeats Switzerland 1-0 and fights for a spot in the next round.
By Stephen Lars
The Chilean national soccer team won its game against the Swiss team in a very close game. This win has set the Chilean team in front of Group H with 6 points y a very good chance of moving up to the round of 16 in the World Cup.
The South American team was being a dominant force at the game opening in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. They kept bringing in plays from different flanks as the teams strikers looked for some open spaces where they could defeat Diego Benaglio, the Swiss keeper.
The Swiss team brought some offensive prowess of their own. After taking a careful look at their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses the Swiss team responded with some fast breaks as the Chilean team moved their offensive lines forward.
Chile dominated the possession, and much of the game. The team seemed superior in both strength and technique. Despite the difference, the Chilean team had no real answer to what seemed like a bombproof defense by the Swiss.
Marcelo Bielsa’s players kept pushing on the Swiss defenders with some long distance shots that Benaglio had to deflect from the goal. But he proved to be one heck of a keeper, because he managed to keep the strikers from scoring despite their many shots on goal.
Some 20 minutes into the first half, the Swiss finally began to move their lines and push back on the Chilean defense. They were able to complete a couple of good passes on the midfield and project their offensive through the flanks.
The Swiss team’s motivation changed the game’s profile. With a very solid defense the Swiss team was not only able to stop the Chilean strikers but even make some sporadic attacks on the offensive end. Still, most of the game was happening in the midfield, as both teams seemed to be missing a good distributor or an organizer that could launch a proper offensive strike.
Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami was shown a red card after he intentionally throws an elbow to Arturo Vidal’s face. The referee saw him and didn’t hesitate to send him to the locker room.
The 1 man difference gave a new advantage to the Chilean team. They kept making passes into the offensive end, yet the strikers kept missing the goal. The Swiss on the other hand kept on with the air attack, but the results did not come.
For the second half, Bielsa made some strategic changes. Mark Gonzalez and Jorge Valdivia replaced Arturo Vidal and Humberto Suazo in an attempt to bring on more speed and precision on the offensive side.
Chile took control of the game, locking up its opponents in their area. Despite this, the Chileans could not pass through the defensive barrier or score on any of the occasions the team had to score.
The game remained scoreless until Mark Gonzalez crossed the Swiss goal with an excellent header after a fine pass from Esteban Paredes.
Chile had to make huge effort but ultimately it controlled its opponents and won the the three points. This gives Chile a good chance to make it into the next round of World Cup South Africa 2010.
About the Author
Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on regular 2010 South Africa World Cup news, sports news and the sportsbetting industry for many exceptional sports web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.