Talisman Alexis Sanchez, influential playmaker
Jorge Valdivia and lively winger Jean Beausejour
did the damage for a side considered by many to
be dark horses to go all the way in Brazil.
Tim Cahill did pull one back for the Socceroos,
offering their young side hope, but they now have
it all to do in a group which also includes reigning
world champions Spain and the side that
hammered them 5-1 in the group’s other fixture
on Friday - Holland.
It took just 12 minutes for Chile to break the
deadlock in Cuiaba, with confusion in the
Australian penalty area seeing them fail to clear
their lines and present Sanchez with an
opportunity to prod past Matthew Ryan from close
range.
A second arrived just two minutes later, with
Sanchez squaring for an unmarked Valdivia to pick
his spot from just inside the box.
Chile were in complete control at that stage, but a
trademark back post header on 35 minutes from
Cahill – his country’s all-time leading goalscorer
– offered Australia a lifeline and opened the game
up as a contest.
The action flowed from end-to-end after the
interval, with Cahill, Mark Bresciano and Eduardo
Vargas all going close.
It was, however, in the second minute of stoppage-
time that the result was finally put beyond doubt,
with Wigan Athletic winger Beausejour rifling low
into the bottom corner from 20 yards out.
Spain's surprise hammering earlier in the day
potentially opened up a route through the group
for the highly rated Chileans, and they began as if
it was all too easy.
Australia, by contrast, were ragged and cut open
with regularity in the early stages. Their goal was
breached for the first time in the 12th minute.
Challenges were few and far between as Sanchez
found Charles Aranguiz and he was allowed to
cross for Eduardo Vargas.
Vargas failed to make clean contact with his
header but Australia failed to clear and Sanchez
calmly picked his spot and lashed home from six
yards.
Chile doubled their lead less than two minutes later
as they powerfully swept forward once again.
Sanchez brilliantly turned Mile Jedinak and raced
into space as Vargas drew the defence with a well-
timed run.
He picked out Valdivia on the edge of the box and
the finish, into the roof of the net, was clinical.
The game seemed beyond Australia at that early
stage and Chile looked likely to increase their lead
as they maintained their tempo for much of the
opening half-hour.
But Australia gradually began to settle and Cahill
dragged them back into the game.
Chile captain and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo invited
pressure with a poor clearance. His defence did
appear to repel any threat but Ivan Franjic won the
ball back for Australia, exchanged passes with
Mathew Leckie and whipped in a dangerous cross
into the area.
Former Everton star Cahill timed his leap perfectly
to plant a firm header past Bravo.
The game then opened up considerably.
Mauricio Isla was released by a fine pass from
Vidal but was denied by a superb challenge from
Jason Davidson.
Early in the second half Cahill headed past Bravo
once again, from a Leckie, cross only to be
frustrated by an offside flag.
Bravo produced a brilliant save to keep out a
powerful first-time shot from Mark Bresciano from
a Davidson cross.
Play switched quickly to the other end where Alex
Wilkinson cleared off the line after Vargas dinked
the ball over Maty Ryan from another defence-
splitting Sanchez pass.
Bresciano continued to get forward from midfield in
search of an equaliser and fired wide. Cahill's
presence in advanced positions also gave Chile
continuing problems.
Cahill appealed for a penalty after going down in a
challenge from Gonzalo Jara with two minutes
remaining but nothing was given.
The task proved beyond the Socceroos and
substitute Beausejour wrapped up the scoring after
Ryan saved from Mauricio Pinilla.
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