Joge Sampaoli’s side are seriously great to watch and could spring a surprise in the ultra-tough Group B.
Top Man
Alexis Sanchez is the obvious pick but Arturo Vidal may be even better. One of the most coveted players in Europe, the Juventus midfielder is a class act. Not only does he boss the middle but he is good for a goal too, and he was joint top scorer for Chile in qualifying.
Chile are likely to go for the rarely-seen-these-days three at the back against Spain and Holland and they used it to great effect against Germany in a recent friendly. That pushes Vidal into a role just behind a front two where he can really be dangerous. Plus he has cool hair.
Rising Star
Eduardo Vargas is the man who will partner Sanchez up front and he might be worth a cheeky punt as top scorer for Chile at a tasty 7/2. Joint top scorer with Vidal in the qualifiers, he has been on loan at Valencia from Napoli since January and while he has only score five goals in that time, he has all the skills to be a breakout star in Brazil. At least the Spanish lads should be aware of him.
Did you know?
Chile appeared in the very first World Cup, in 1930, but they went out in the group stage.
Reasons for Irish fans to support them
Bernardo O’Higgins, whose father was from Sligo, is one of Chile’s great national heroes and helped free Chile from Spanish rule.
If they were a TV series
30 Rock. Chile are relentless and will attack you with wave after wave of attack, just like Tina Fey’s jokes. Sure, some won’t connect but there will be another one along in a minute. And most folks will be massive fans if they just sit down and watch them once.
Prediction
We really think they have a shot of getting out of the group. A win over Australia in their opening game will put them in the driving seat no matter what happens in the Spain/Holland clash. Nab a win against one of the big two and they are into the second round. Brazil would hate to see them in the knockout stage as their last 16 opponent.
Tournament odds with Ladbrokes: 33/1
