Chile’s tireless style takes toll
Print Edition
CHILE’S high-octane style of play has made it one of the world’s most entertaining teams to watch but coach Juan Antonio Pizzi has admitted that it comes with a price.
Pizzi said that such a relentless style involved an enormous physical effort, raising questions as to whether an aging squad will be able to maintain it at next year’s World Cup, should it qualify.
Chile presses high, tries to win possession deep in the opposition’s half and, when it has the ball, throws players forward in numbers in a manner which former Spain coach Vicente del Bosque once said was like “facing 11 kamikazes”.
The system was first adopted under the leadership of coach Marcelo Bielsa, who took Chile to the 2010 World Cup.
It was continued by Jorge Sampaoli who led Chile to its first major title, the 2015 Copa America, and now by Pizzi, who took over at the start of last year.
When it works, it makes the South American champion an almost irresistible force, as Australia coach Ange Postecoglou commented following Sunday’s 1-1 draw in the FIFA Confederations Cup. “The most important thing was not to let Chile dominate the game because when that happens, it’s almost impossible to beat them,” he said.
But Pizzi, whose side faces Portugal in the semifinals tomorrow, acknowledged that it had taken its toll.
“Our style of play is very demanding, the players have to put in a great effort,” he said.
“Our opponents know this and they often have a different way of playing (against us), they tend not to take the initiative.
“We always want to win back the ball and this needs a lot of effort and sacrifice.”
That could be even more of a concern given Chile’s age — the Confed Cup squad has an average age of 28.6 — with several key players, including midfielder Arturo Vidal and defender Gary Medel, already over 30.
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