Chile and Northern Ireland are playing on the World Cup international friendly schedule ahead of Brazil and the matchup on Wednesday comes from Estadio ElÃas Figueroa Brander in ValparaÃso and Chile is hoping to get a nice performance in the matchup before the WC kicks off in one week and they are hoping Arturo Vidal will be a factor.
Arturo Vidal is a key player for the team, and his status moving forward could be what gets the team into the knockout stage from the group round or if they are done early. Chile has played very well in friendly matches and this gives the team the chance to stay unbeaten at home in 10 games and this is the final matchup for the team ahead of the Brazil tournament apart from scrimmages. Vidal had surgery earlier in the year on his knee and so far tests have been positive and that is why he was put on the roster for the final set for the team.
Chile comes in playing very well and they have a tough group coming up, as they will have to battle with defending champions Spain along with the Netherlands and Australia and that Group B will be very tough to get out of. Manager Jorge Sampaoli knows that Arturo Vidal is a vital part of the team and he will be hoping that Vidal can stay healthy and play for the group stage. Chile has already won a friendly match against Egypt and that was a 3-2 win after being down two goals and now they can sharpen their skills against a team that is not going into the World Cup. This match is big for Chile, as the final roster is playing a game together for the first time since cuts.
N Ireland played against Uruguay before and ended up losing 1-0, but the Northern side played well compared to their opponents and while they are not going to the World Cup, they showed that they can be a tough defensive team. Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill may need to bring some new blood into the mix for the match, as Chris Baird likely will not play and that means Conor McLaughlin or another play may have to step in for the match. Northern Ireland is looking for their first win of the season and they have only one match win since back in the summer of 2011. The team is coming in after losing to Uruguay and they had to play without Luis Suarez and there is a chance that Suarez could be out for the World Cup if he doesn't heal up in time.
Chile opens with Australia on June 13 and that is the same day Mexico and Cameroon play from Group A after Brazil and Croatia open the tournament and then the team plays against Spain and the Netherlands in their next two matches.
Check here for the Chile and Northern Ireland live coverage from the World Cup for the match.