2014 FIFA World Cup Live Streaming Info: Brazil vs. Chile Preview
The hometown team will hurdle a familiar foe.
Brazil and Chile will draw first blood in the Sweet 16 stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Saturday.
For the five time winners of the tournament, Brazil was tested heavily by Croatia and Mexico in the group matches but this Chilean team belongs in a bigger league. The Selecao came off their biggest and most convincing showing in the tournament with the recent demolition of Cameroon and they may just be peaking at the right time, just yet.
Brazil coach Felipe Scolari has mapped out the best formation in the three headed attacking lineup of Neymay flanking left, Oscar in the middle and Hulk always a threat on the right and he is expected to stick to his big guns and the winning attacking formula.
Chile, on the other hand is the surprise of Grup B, disposing the defending champions Spain in convincing fashion. Arturo Vidal is reportedly not a hundred percent but his mere presence will put the team with a puncher's chance to steal a win from the favored Brazilians.
The La Rojo is putting on a spectacular attacking strategy which has teams in the group matches huffing and puffing to keep up with the pace. They may just have found their match in Brazil.
"It's not that we want to follow Neymar everywhere he goes, but we respect him deeply," Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli told reporters ahead of the game, via ESPNFC. "We will be very difficult and we will follow him and try to stop him."
Chile can also apply their famed pressing defense which used a high pressing defense designed to shut off the supply to James Rodriguez and Co. The task is gargantuan given that Chile has been outlasted by the Selecao, nine of the last ten meetings but this time around the Brazilians will face a much improved opponent.
"We have beaten the world champions, so we can beat Brazil," Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal told the media Friday.
"Brazil has often been our nemesis but football changes, new generations come and new players appear," he added.
The support of their fans is not also a concern as tens of thousands have already booked a seat to the knockout game. With both teams more comfortable with attacks than negating offenses, expect a lot of goals in this game. Nevertheless, the experience of Brazil and the energy of the home crowd may just propel them to the next round.
You can watch the live streaming match of Brazil and Chile via the tournament's official site, FIFA.COM, or ESPN and ITV