Anybody who followed Chile’s successful campaign in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will be well aware of the attacking intent consistently shown by Marcelo Bielsa’s charges. Indeed, La Roja finished second in the South American Zone and were the region’s top scorers with 32 goals from 18 games.

However, prior to Wednesday’s Group H opener against Honduras on Tuesday, it remained unclear how ‘El Loco’ Bielsa would send out his side given the absence through injury of his ten-goal leading marksman in qualifying, Humberto Suazo. The answer could be seen right from the outset of the game in Nelspruit, with Chile foregoing a target man for a policy of speed and continual movement.

“Today I had to carry out a different role, as more of a centre-forward, and I think it worked,” said Jorge Valdivia, nominally a creative midfielder, in an exclusive interview with FIFA after his side’s 1-0 victory. In effect, Bielsa deployed a four-man attacking unit, with Matias Fernandez, goalscorer Jean Beausejour, Alexis Sanchez and Valdivia utilising speed, skill and ability to interchange positions to positive effect.

Suazo is a hugely important focal point for this team, so we tried to make up for his absence by moving around and opening up spaces.
Chile makeshift forward Jorge Valdivia

“Suazo is a hugely important focal point for this team, so we tried to make up for his absence by moving around and opening up spaces,” said Valdivia, currently at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. “It was not just so the four players furthest forward could create danger but also to free up the other midfielders and the wing-backs.”

It was from just such a passage of quick movement and interplay that Chile’s clinching goal came. Sporting Lisbon’s ‘Mati’ Fernandez played in the overlapping Mauricio Isla whose cross was bundled home by Beausejour, who had cleverly switched from his left-sided berth to find space in the six-yard box.

“We’re just like Playstation players now, our movement is totally programmed into us,” said the 26-year-old Valdivia, smiling broadly despite carrying a knock taken during his tussles with the Honduran backline. “We’ve been playing together for so long now and we’ve spent so much time training that we know exactly what to do and where each other is going to be.”

And though Chile would have been hoping for more goals against Los Catrachos, Bielsa’s attacking quartet did enough to secure all three points and a positive start in a Group H also containing Spain and Switzerland.

“That’s something 'El Professor' Bielsa always asks us to do. Whoever we’re up against he wants us to go on the front foot and also to defend as a team - like 11 warriors,” concluded Valdivia, whose team face the Helvetians in their next game on 21 June in the Port Elizabeth Stadium.



Match Highlights





FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking



Last Updated 26 May 2010
Next Release 14 Jul 2010
RankingTeamPts
May 10
+/- Ranking
Apr 10
+/- Pts
Apr 10
1Brazil Brazil16110Equal0
2Spain Spain15650Equal0
3Portugal Portugal12490Equal0
4Netherlands Netherlands12310Equal10
5Italy Italy11840Equal0
6Germany Germany10820Equal-25
7Argentina Argentina10760Equal-8
8England England10680Equal0
9France France10441Up0
10Croatia Croatia1041-1Down-11
11Russia Russia10150Equal12
12Egypt Egypt9671Up0
13Greece Greece964-1Down-4
14USA USA9570Equal7
15Serbia Serbia9471Up3
16Uruguay Uruguay8992Up-3
17Mexico Mexico8950Equal-41
18Chile Chile888-3Down-60
19Cameroon Cameroon8870Equal0
20Australia Australia8860Equal3
21Nigeria Nigeria883-1Down0
22Norway Norway8820Equal3
23Ukraine Ukraine8752Up20
24Switzerland Switzerland8662Up12
25Slovenia Slovenia860-2Down0
26Israel Israel857-2Down0
27Côte d'Ivoire Côte d'Ivoire8560Equal10
28Romania Romania8530Equal10
29Turkey Turkey8304Up32
30Algeria Algeria8211Up0
31Paraguay Paraguay820-1Down-2
32Ghana Ghana8000Equal-2
33Czech Republic Czech Republic793-4Down-34
34Slovakia Slovakia7774Up35
35Colombia Colombia776-1Down-1
36Denmark Denmark767-1Down0
37Sweden Sweden7610Equal4
38Honduras Honduras7342Up7
39Bulgaria Bulgaria7110Equal-29
40Costa Rica Costa Rica7102Up4
41Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland7092Up19
42Gabon Gabon700-1Down-7
43Scotland Scotland6991Up15
44Ecuador Ecuador694-8Down-69
45Japan Japan6820Equal8
46Latvia Latvia6520Equal0
47Korea Republic Korea Republic6320Equal13
48Burkina Faso Burkina Faso6114Up22
49Venezuela Venezuela6080Equal3
Last Updated 26 May 2010
Next Release 14 Jul 2010
RankingTeamPts
May 10
+/- Ranking
Apr 10
+/- Pts
Apr 10
51Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia-Herzegovina6040Equal0
52Finland Finland584-3Down-21
53Peru Peru5780Equal-1
54Mali Mali5750Equal0
55Tunisia Tunisia5740Equal0
56Northern Ireland Northern Ireland5661Up11
57Hungary Hungary565-1Down-2
58Poland Poland5610Equal9
59Belgium Belgium5413Up23
60Benin Benin531-1Down0
61Iran Iran521-1Down0
61FYR Macedonia FYR Macedonia521-1Down0
63Canada Canada5160Equal0
64Montenegro Montenegro5001Up0
65Bolivia Bolivia4992Up8
66Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia4980Equal3
67Cyprus Cyprus4861Up-2
68Austria Austria479-4Down-30
69Bahrain Bahrain4750Equal0
70Morocco Morocco4630Equal-6
71Zambia Zambia4560Equal4
72El Salvador El Salvador452-1Down0
73Uganda Uganda4401Up3
74Panama Panama4342Up13
75Senegal Senegal4222Up8
76Togo Togo418-3Down-20
77Wales Wales415-2Down-14
78New Zealand New Zealand4100Equal-3
79Albania Albania4061Up0
80Iraq Iraq4052Up11
81Jamaica Jamaica399-2Down-13
82Belarus Belarus397-1Down0
83South Africa South Africa3927Up23
84China PR China PR3871Up-3
85Mozambique Mozambique3834Up5
86Malawi Malawi382-4Down-12
87Guinea Guinea3810Equal0
88Angola Angola379-3Down-11
89Moldova Moldova378-5Down-14
90Iceland Iceland3671Up0
91Oman Oman3626Up16
91Haiti Haiti362-4Down-19
93Gambia Gambia3610Equal0
94Uzbekistan Uzbekistan3540Equal0
95Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago353-4Down-14
96Qatar Qatar351-1Down0
97Kuwait Kuwait350-1Down2
98Syria Syria3430Equal1
99Estonia Estonia3205Up24
100Armenia Armenia311-1Down0
49
Lithuania Lithuania608-1
101United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates310-1Down0
102Libya Libya3090Equal4
103Congo Congo308-2Down0
104Jordan Jordan300-1Down-1
105Korea DPR Korea DPR2851Up-7
106Thailand Thailand276-1Down-18
107Rwanda Rwanda2690Equal0
108Tanzania Tanzania2610Equal2
109Azerbaijan Azerbaijan2591Up2
110Zimbabwe Zimbabwe2583Up10
111Namibia Namibia2511Up0
112Yemen Yemen248-3Down-10
113Kenya Kenya2431Up0
114Guatemala Guatemala2411Up0
114Cape Verde Islands Cape Verde Islands2413Up5
116Botswana Botswana2360Equal-1
117Vietnam Vietnam2311Up0
118Sudan Sudan2193Up8
119Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda2180Equal1
120Georgia Georgia217-1Down0
121Congo DR Congo DR215-10Down-38
122Guyana Guyana2050Equal0
123Ethiopia Ethiopia2000Equal-4
124Grenada Grenada1980Equal0
125Faroe Islands Faroe Islands1960Equal0
126Cuba Cuba194-1Down-2
127Singapore Singapore1930Equal0
127Luxembourg Luxembourg1930Equal0
129Kazakhstan Kazakhstan1830Equal3
130Sierra Leone Sierra Leone1813Up19
131Swaziland Swaziland1710Equal6
132Fiji Fiji167-2Down0
133India India163-1Down-1
134Bermuda Bermuda1600Equal0
135Tajikistan Tajikistan1550Equal-2
135Barbados Barbados1550Equal-2
137Indonesia Indonesia1530Equal0
137Suriname Suriname1533Up6
139Turkmenistan Turkmenistan151-2Down-2
140Hong Kong Hong Kong150-1Down0
141Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea1420Equal0
142Maldives Maldives1291Up0
143Chad Chad1281Up0
144Burundi Burundi1271Up0
145New Caledonia New Caledonia1261Up0
146Malaysia Malaysia1231Up0
147Myanmar Myanmar122-5Down-19
148Madagascar Madagascar1211Up6
149Liechtenstein Liechtenstein117-1Down0
150Liberia Liberia1142Up2
Down-8