Chile, the irresistible force

Pizzi said that such a relentless style involved an enormous physical effort, raising questions as to whether an ageing squad will be able to maintain it at next year’s World Cup, should they 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 them to the 2010 World Cup. It was continued by Jorge Sampaoli who led them to their 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 champions an almost irresistible force, as Australia coach Ange Postecoglou commented following Sunday’s 1-1 draw in the 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 face Portugal in the semi-finals on Wednesday, 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,” he added.