Sampaoli’s Chile are not likely to play it cool against Netherlands

Sampaoli’s men will continue competing with high intensity to beat the Netherlands and top the group, writes Ian Hawkey

Head coach Jorge Sampaoli of Chile speaks to Gary Medel during their match against Spain at the 2014 World Cup. David Ramos / Getty Images / June 18, 2014

Jorge Sampaoli refers to his Chile team as “rebels”. He means it positively, rather than suggesting they are potential mutineers or hard to manage.

Yet, to play for Sampaoli, the stocky Argentine who turns his technical area into an animated rectangle of activity at times, can only be physically demanding and, while exhilarating, a little stressful.

Chile have played a high-intensity style at the World Cup, with a degree of risk, much as they did in 2010 in South Africa, and it has worked well enough to have taken them past Spain.

They go into today’s meeting with the Netherlands with an opportunity – if they win and top Group B, they avoid a likely last-16 match with Brazil.

The mathematics of the group will encourage Chile to play their natural game and seek the three points.

A draw would keep the Netherlands, who also have maximum points, on top, because they hold a superior goal difference.

But this is not a Dutch team who naturally play for a point. Louis van Gaal’s side scored 34 goals, more than anyone in the European section of qualifying, on the way to Brazil. They have eight from their pair of matches in Brazil so far.

“I’m glad if people are noticing and talking about that,” said Van Gaal, who will be without his most potent scorer, Robin van Persie, because of suspension today, and may make adjustments to his XI and the way they line up.

The Netherlands began the World Cup organised in a 3-5-2, with wing-backs. It is a scheme that was fashionable in the 1980s and into the 1990s, but had passed out of mainstream use until recently. Juventus’s adoption of it for a significant number of matches in their past two, successful, Serie A seasons, has given the formation a high-profile endorsement in club football, though it is still a minority preference.

Yet, at World Cup 2014, it has proved to be a useful weapon. Costa Rica’s poised pair of victories – over Uruguay and Italy – owe plenty to their ease with their 5-3-2 (or 3-5-2 when in attack) system and the precise crossing of wing-backs Cristian Gamboa and Junior Diaz.

The 3-5-2 served Van Gaal brilliantly against Spain, whose traditional strength is in midfield. Two of the Dutch goals in the 5-1 routing of the World Cup holders came from crosses from left wing-back Daley Blind; one, issued from deep, resulting in Van Persie’s superb flying header for the equaliser.

Against Australia, in their second fixture, 3-5-2 worked less well for the Netherlands. At half time, Van Gaal switched tactics.

“None of the players came to me to say anything about it,” he said. “But it is important we can master different systems.”

The 4-3-3, to which the Dutch reverted and proved the basis for a comeback from 2-1 down, made them more secure, Van Gaal said.

“It is the instinctive system for Dutch players. They have grown up with it since junior school.”

Chile’s footballers have not all grown up with the high-up-the-pitch pressing game cultivated by Sampaoli, but those who have been in the national squad for a few years recognise some aspects of it from the reign of Marcelo Bielsa, Sampaoli’s Argentine compatriot and predecessor. Wing-backs are important and Mauricio Isla, of Juventus, and Eugenio Mena, of Brazilian club Santos, are encouraged to push forward.

But Chile do leave space for opponents to exploit and the Netherlands, particularly through Arjen Robben, can be lethal on the counter-attack.

“Being so attacking makes us seem suicidal to some people,” said Arturo Vidal, the Juventus midfielder, whose box-to-box energy is a key element of the Chile make-up.

Sampaoli may do without it against the Dutch, however. Vidal came into the World Cup short of fitness and the coach wants him as refreshed as possible for a last-16 tie.

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