[South American Regional Qualifiers]
16 Matches 7 Wins 4 Ties 5 Losses (26 Points)
| 6/2/96 | Vs. Venezuela | Draw | 1-1 |
| 7/7/96 | Vs. Ecuador | Win | 4-1 |
| 9/1/96 | Vs. Colombia | Lose | 4-1 |
| 10/9/96 | Vs. Paraguay | Lose | 2-1 |
| 11/12/96 | Vs. Uruguay | Win | 1-0 |
| 12/15/96 | Vs. Argentina | Draw | 1-1 |
| 1/12/97 | Vs. Peru | Lose | 2-1 |
| 2/12/97 | Vs. Bolivia | Draw | 1-1 |
| 4/29/97 | Vs. Venezuela | Win | 6-1 |
| 6/8/97 | Vs. Ecuador | Draw | 1-1 |
| 7/5/97 | Vs. Colombia | Win | 4-1 |
| 7/20/97 | Vs. Paraguay | Win | 2-1 |
| 8/20/97 | Vs. Uruguay | Lose | 1-0 |
| 9/10/97 | Vs. Argentina | Lose | 1-2 |
| 10/12/97 | Vs. Peru | Win | 4-0 |
| 11/16/97 | Vs. Bolivia | Win | 3-0 |
| Offense |
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Defense |
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Experience |
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Capacity to surprise |
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Having won its right to appear in this World Cup by taking fourth place in the South American qualifiers, Chile's strength can not be overlooked. Any way you look at it, the main weapon of this team is its offense. The "Za-Sa" combination of Zamorano and Salas that will draw so much attention at this world cup is amazingly explosive. In the qualifiers, these two knocked in 23 goals. To put in the other way, if the unmovable two tops misfire, then Chile will fall in the preliminary round. This is how great the expectations on these two are. The style of play centers on attacks from the side. This is a simple style, but the links to the tops are made at quite high speed and the Chileans use many vertical passes and early crosses to give their attack breadth.
The defense centers on regular goalkeeper Tapia and stopper Reyes. However, neither of the sides can be counted on and this will be a difficult assignment in the World Cup. The skills of the sides are strictly limited to the offense. Among the four midfielders, the injury to the genius Rosental has dragged on and there is no chance that he will be fully healed in time for the World Cup and V. H. Castaneda has announced his retirement. Thus, Vega and Musrri become regulars. For the other two positions, the main candidates are Acuna for the defensive position and the offensive-minded Sierra. How well these four can perform is certain to have a great impact on the activities of the two tops.
*FEDERACION DE
FUTBOL DE CHILI
[Address]
- Avenida Quilin 5635Comuna
- PenalolenCasilla Postal 3733
- Correo CentralSANTIAGO
[Established] 1895
*7th World Cup
(1930, 1950, 1962, 1966,
1974, 1982, 1998)
No championships |
Ivan ZAMORANO
* Forward
In order for Chile to make it past the preliminary round, the "Za-Sa" combination that the Chileans are so proud of absolutely must ignite.
Zamorano is a much-watched striker with superior goal sense who can finish off goals with any style. In the recent South American qualifiers, he recorded 12 goals and took the top rank in the scoring race despite appearing in only 9 matches. Having been the scoring king in the Spanish league, he also enjoys the advantage of experience on the European stage. The "Za-Sa" combination of Zamorano with Salas has the explosive power to rival Brazil's "Ro-Ro" combination. With their wide area of play, whether or not Chile can make it past the preliminary round depends completely on Zamorano. Currently, he plays for the famed Inter of Italy.
Nelson ACOSTA
A Uruguayan coach who took over the reins from the slumping Askagolta suddenly during the regional qualifiers. During his playing days, he was a defensive midfielder for the famed Penarol team. After that, he bounced around and played with Everton and Fernandez. Among his coaching stops have been Fernandez, Cruz Azul (Mexico), and U. Espanola. He debuted with the Chilean national team in the test match with Spain in 1993. His remarkable job bringing the team back to life have won recognition for his skills.
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