Chile is hoping to be a darkhorse in the World Cup this year. The issue could be their grouping considering Spain is looking to repeat as champions along with the Netherlands who are hoping to prove an upset of their own. First they must focus on Australia, another team looking to prove some critics wrong and make an unexpected run in the World Cup as well. Both Chile and Australia could be on the outside looking in for Group B so picking up the points in the first game is critical.
Chile has speed on their side. Their attack methods a quick and can turn devastating in a moment's notice. Eduardo Vargas and Alexis Sanchez are known to pick up the pace of play which can result in flairs of goals. Chile is one of the few teams that comes into the tournament with a win streak to their name having only lost three of their last 18 games which dates back to 2013. They have the confidence and despite an injury to Arturo Vidal, they stand a real chance at causing some upsets.
Australia comes in with an unimpressive run prior to qualifying for the World Cup. They have failed to win their final three matches prior to the tournament and need to get their confidence together if they hold hope of getting past Chile. Australia is the severe underdog of the group and tournament as they have struggled in recent months. Mile Jedinak has been the surprise of the team after a strong season with Crystal Palace. Tim Cahill who spent the year with Everton is also one of the promising players on the roster who could help Australia pull off the unlikely win.
Australia has youth on their side. The team is one of the younger squads with the average age of 23 compared to Chile who averages out at 28. However, in four meetings between the two teams, Chile has won them all and their only three losses were to the tournament's top two teams, Spain and Germany, so they handle most of the top players. Chile is the favorite to win this matchup, but a game against Australia will be their easiest compared to the road ahead.
