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With a place in the last 16 effectively at stake, Chile take on Spain at the Maracana and are well-placed to
knock out the reigning world champions

A draw will probably do for Chile to progress at the expense of
Spain when they clash in Group B later in the day but their
style doesn't readily lend itself to conservatism. Their game is
not about keeping the opposition out, it's about taking the
game to them.
"I don't think anything will make us lose intensity," coach
Jorge Sampaoli said last week. "It is necessary to stand up
against any opponent we have. If we played differently, we'd
lose our identity."
There is no chance Chile will ever play cautiously and eke out
a point. That would be a betrayal of the coach's methods
which he has worked hard to restore. Chile have played like
this before. This type of football was an identifiable Chilean
quality under Marcelo Bielsa. They lost their way to an extent
under his replacement Claudio Borghi but Sampaoli, a
devoted student of Bielsa, has instilled those characteristics
all over again.
Tempo is now Sampaoli's trademark. He is not a man to
compromise his principles. Whether it's Australia or Spain,
their unrelenting rhythm will not be altered.
Chile, unlike Spain, don't tend to overload the midfield; they
overload the final third. It's all about getting the ball forward
quickly to the feet of Jorge Valdivia, Arturo Vidal, Eduardo
Vargas or Alexis Sanchez.
"We need players who are very nimble and quick to break
through defences," Sampaoli said. Marcelo Diaz, in midfield,
is the embodiment of the coach's ideals. He never plays a
pass Sampaoli wouldn't want him to.
Diaz remains totally committed to Sampaoli's style. It was
ingrained on him and many of his international colleagues
during their days together at Universidad de Chile, where they
won national and continental titles. Sampaoli knows the
players well and commands loyalty.
In their first Group B match, a 3-1 win over Australia in
Cuiaba, they swarmed around the beleaguered Socceroos
from minute one. Their football pulsating like the stands containing their raucous supporters.
They were 2-0 up against an over-matched opponent within
15 minutes before their standards slipped on Friday night. "To
take on our other rivals, we must make our matches more
complete," the coach admitted after the victory.
It is a quick turnaround to the Spain game and it's not that
long since these sides met for the last time although how
much can be taken from that 2-2 friendly draw last September
in Geneva is debatable. Chile were close to full-strength
whereas Spain started with only three players who are likely
to play from the outset in the Maracana.
Sergio Ramos, Xavi and Pedro played, while some fringe players staked their claims for World Cup consideration.
Ramos and Xavi didn't fare well on the night. A lapse in concentration saw Ramos play Vargas onside for the opening goal. Xavi was overpowered in midfield. "We will find certain
weaknesses and induce errors," Sampaoli said before the
tournament.
The South Americans have confidence and belief. They are fearless.
"We want to be just as difficult for them as they are for us," said Sampaoli. "Spain and the Netherlands can be tackled by us."
They will relish the opportunity to not only seal their own
qualification but to also eliminate the champions.
Chile have every right to be considered as contenders in their
own right for this tournament. "We have players willing to
tackle big commitments like this one," Sampaoli said. "Our
thrust will be greater than our impediments."
There could of course be the Spanish backlash. They are
three points and six goals behind Chile and need to close both
of those gaps before their last group match against Australia.
Spain lost their first game at World Cup 2010, but beat Chile
in the group stage before going on to lift the trophy.
Sampaoli's men may have been unlucky to have the win
snatched from them in Geneva as it showed that the best
teams always find a way. Chile play so intensely that lulls are
inevitable. There is