BY ANTHONY PALMER Prior to Sunday’s match, it wasn’t that long ago since we saw Brazil play Chile. The teams went head to head at the hands of Germany, Brazil defeated Chile 3-2 on penalties in the last 16 of last summer’s last World Cup. One last look at the players who took to the field on Sunday 29th March: Brazil: Jefferson, Danilo, Thiago Silva, Miranda, Junior Marcelo, Douglas Costa, Souza, Fernandinho, Coutinho, Adriano, Neymar. Subs: Diego Alves, Gil, Luis, Elias, Oscar, Gabriel, Fabinho, Gustavo, Firmino, Willian, Robinho, Grohe Marcelo. Chile: Bravo, Mena, Jara, Albornoz, Isla, Millar, Medel, Aranguiz, Vidal, Sanchez, Hernandez. Subs: Garces, Roco, Vargas, Gonzalez, Cornejo, Fernandez, Pizarro, Orellana, Gutierrez, Fuenzalida, Lichnovsky. TEDIOUS FIRST HALF It gives me no pleasure to describe the first half as flaccid and tedious in comparison to the second half. With no substance to the game as we hoped before the whistle blew, the most action was counting how many times Neymar had been kicked. Which was too many! The crowd lit up during the 18th minute, Sanchez’s engaged with a wonderful first touch, back to the Goal and a healthy 35 yards out sees him turn and beat his opponent. He effortlessly slid inside the box but met a superb halt by Miranda. Two breaths after a rather harsh yellow card was delivered to Thiago Silva, he was booked for tripping Pablo Hernandez at the halfway line. There is no doubt it was a foul, but the booking is a little too much for the Brazilian defender for this offense. In the 44th minute Neymar was booked with a flashy yellow, and let’s say it was needed as he’d took to fouling way too often during the game. The booking led to the following trip on Jara whilst battling for the ball. Referee Martin Atkinson let the forward know it’s been one foul too many that he was willing to overlook. A fan expressed “Neymar is annoying me, wish I stayed at home” TEDIOUS SECOND HALF The second half was more thrilling- a silly challenge from defender Thiago Silva who is lucky despite the shambles not to have been sent off. His clumsy legs brought down Eugenio Mena and already fashioning a yellow card was cutting it thin with a risk like that. Silly move! Despite Chile being the ultimate fighters during the show down, a GOAL came out of nowhere from their opposing side! Brazil had done nothing during that half and I mean nothing! But this was an unexpected beauty, a wonderful pass from Danilo was connected by Roberto Firmino, who whips the golden ball past Bravo before rolling it into an open net in the 72nd minute. A few changes were at hand for both teams; Brazil’s Filipe Luis came on in place of Marcelo and Chile responded with their first change as Matias Fernandez replaced Rodrigo Millar. Elias received a yellow for a foul around the halfway line, just moments before we saw old Liverpool baler Mark Gonzalez back on English soil (It has been ten years!) Gonzalez replaced Mena in Chile’s third switch in the 82nd minute. With the game leaving us with nothing entertaining besides one sneakier yellow card! Gonzalez in the penultimate countdown was lumbered with a yellow for a nasty swipe at the heels of Midfielder, Willian. An OK game in all but not what we expected. Chile deserved the win but that’s not how it works, unfortunately. Brazil snagged the eighth straight win under Dunga. Congratulations.
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