The reign of Spain has ended. Suddenly, dramatically, an era is over. The World Cup winners became its ultimate losers, the first team eliminated from this tournament. Seven days in, Spain are out.
Overwhelmed by Netherlands, they were overrun by Chile. In both games, they looked over the hill. Theirs has been an astonishing decline. A team that scaled unparalleled heights has now hit the lowest of lows. They have scored one goal and conceded seven in this World Cup. They have been ejected and embarrassed.
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Spain were shocked and shocking. Yet that should not obscure the reality that Chile, like Netherlands before them, produced an outstanding performance. Pressing beat passing in an ideological contest, Eduardo Vargas and Charles Aranguiz rewarding Chile for their high-intensity, high-energy ethos.
They have secured qualification for the last 16. It is no mean feat for a team pitted against both of the 2010 finalists. This result ensures the current crop will rank alongside the class of 1998 among the finest Chilean sides in recent history. They were so much sharper than Spain, who simply looked tired.
There was a theory their 5-1 thrashing by Netherlands would bring a reaction, but this wasn’t the response of champions. Spain have had few answers to adversity this World Cup. They went out without a whimper. No Spaniard has delivered. Nothing Vicente del Bosque has tried has worked. It is a picture of unremitting disappointment.
The axing of the ideologue Xavi was the sort of drastic step Spain never considered taking in any of the three previous tournaments. Belated boldness backfired: Spain were no more energetic or inventive in his absence. Xabi Alonso, the veteran midfielder who was retained, endured an awful afternoon. Culpable for Chile’s first goal, he could have been sent off for a foul on Mauricio Isla and was substituted at half-time.
Another national icon fared still worse. Iker Casillas apologised to his team-mates for his error-strewn display against Netherlands. Admirable honesty did not bring an improvement. Another Casillas mistake brought another goal, Chile’s second. The man who lifted the World Cup four years ago is a prime reason why Spain have surrendered it.
His goal was under threat immediately. Chile are renowned for their fast starts and this was no exception: they twice came close within 80 seconds. They were two goals ahead after 13 minutes against Australia. By their lofty standards, this was a comparatively pedestrian start: it took them 20 minutes to score.
Their impact was apparent from the first whistle, though. Spain like to set the rhythm of a game but they were unable to, unsettled by Chile’s relentless pressing game. It paid dividends when a hassled Alonso coughed up possession, Chile broke at pace with Alexis Sanchez exchanging passes with Arturo Vidal feeding Aranguiz. He, rather than shooting, showed wonderfully awareness to cut the ball back for Vargas to slide it in.
Having set up the first, the unheralded Aranguiz scored the second, with assistance from both Sanchez and Casillas. The Barcelona winger bent in a free kick and the Real Madrid goalkeeper flapped at it, punching it ineffectually to Aranguiz, who struck his shot with rather more confidence.
He limped off before Isla, one of Chile’s incredibly athletic wing-backs, almost added a third. By then Spain had spurned their chances to get back into the game. It is a further illustration of their new-found haplessness that the controversial decision to recruit the Brazilian Diego Costa has not been justified. The semi-fit pseudo Spaniard had one of his adopted country’s best opportunities but, picked out by Andres Iniesta, he stumbled over the ball and saw Isla deflected his stabbed shot wide. Nor his new colleagues help his cause. When his overhead kick fell for an unmarked Sergio Busquets, the midfielder missed a gaping goal.
The game was up and, so insipid were Spain, it felt the final whistle was a relief to them. This was an abject end to their golden years.
Man of the Match: Charles Aranguiz (Chile) – Part of the ever-industrious Chilean midfield, he garnished his game with a selfless assist and an assured finish. Hopefully his injury won't be too severe.
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