The fate of the defending champion of the World Football Championship, the Spanish national team, may be decided on Wednesday. "La Roja" will meet with the Chilean national football team, who won their first match, in the legendary Maracana stadium. Both teams need a victory. In case of a Chilean victory, they would secure a ticket to the next stage, while Spain would keep hopes alive to qualify.
Spanish national team's forward Fernando Torres stated at a press conference before the match that the world champions do not think about losing.
"We have to fight from the very beginning, but at the same time remain calm. The problem in the match with the Netherlands was that we couldn't read the game. Of course, there won't be any easy opponents, but we have to stay calm.
Yes, we feel the pressure, but it is shared, not resting on one player or coach. We win as a team and lose as a team - all 23 players and coaches. But we don't even think about losing," said F. Torres.
Good news for Chile is that one of the best center-backs in the world, Arturo Vidal, is ready to play 100%.
"Playing in Maracana makes the match one of the most amazing experiences in life. It's a dream come true since we play against the Spanish national team, and a victory would guarantee us success in one of the toughest World Cup groups," the Turin Juventus star expressed before the match.
Before the tournament, A. Vidal had a knee injury, but assured that he is fully prepared: "I thought it wouldn't be so easy. I am very pleased that I was able to return to the field so quickly. I hope I can show my talent and help the team."
The Chilean national team's style of play is unfavorable for Spain. South Americans can produce lightning-fast attacks, similar to what the Dutch team did when they thrashed the world and European champions 5-1. Additionally, the Chileans often like to control and push the ball just like the Spaniards. Foreign experts describe Chile's game as suicidal against Spain, but it may bear fruit.
"Yes, we play a little suicidal. We press our opponents very high. We try to stop our opponents from playing with our own style and take the ball away from them as high as possible. After taking the ball, we always make the opponents run," said A. Vidal.
Chilean national team coach Jorge Sampaoli stated before the match that Spain is still one of the best teams in the world.
"Defeating this team will be very difficult. Let's not forget that this is one of the best national teams in the world. I think their game will really be different from the match with the Dutch, and the coach will surely come up with something new.
It's great that A. Vidal recovered. He already played a few minutes against Australia, after that he worked hard in training, increasing intensity. He will certainly play," said G. Sampaoli before the match.
"We must forget what happened, everything needs to be left behind. Now we have two consecutive finals ahead, but it was the same in the last championship when we lost to Switzerland. The opponents are very strong, so we will have to fight with all our might, defend well, play one-on-one, and create attacks," said Barcelona's defender Andre Iniesta.
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