- Luis Cruz López
- Writer
The Darkest Moment of Chilean Soccer
Shame, disappointment, humiliation, anger. And for many fans, the saddest memory with their national team. Chile finished the 2002 Korea-Japan qualifiers in last place on the table. With only three victories in 18 games played. The good campaign that led them to the 1998 World Cup was not repeated.
It was a time of chaos and frustration for 'La Roja'. Unexpected results and discussions about players who, according to some of the press and fans, did not deserve to wear the national team jersey. In the final matches, one of the worst chapters in the history of the Chilean national team unfolded.
It is considered one of the worst defeats for Chilean soccer. It happened on September 4, 2001. At the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile was defeated for the first time in its history by Venezuela, losing 2-0, with only four games remaining in that painful qualifying process.
The agony ended with two more losses, against Brazil and Colombia, and a final goalless draw against Ecuador. The only thing to rescue from that opportunity was the victory over Brazil by 3-0 on the seventh round. The joy of qualifying for the 1998 World Cup was replaced by the disappointment of finishing last in the standings.
Transition and Retirement
In the qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Chile started better. With an already retired Iván Zamorano and Marcelo Salas playing their final matches, a transition period was taking place in the Chilean national team.
They had an acceptable first round, finishing in fourth place in the qualifiers. The downfall began in the second round. Four winless games resulted in coach Juvenal Olmos stepping down. Nelson Acosta returned with two victories and brought hope back to Chilean fans.
However, a scandalous 5-0 defeat to Brazil brought back the discussion and the media's demand for the retirement of some players who had already completed their cycle, including World Cup goalkeeper Nelson Tapia. Despite that, the campaign was better than the previous one, finishing with 22 points, just three points behind the coveted fifth place.
The Road to Recovery
Many agree that the recovery of Chile started with Harold Mayne-Nicholls. He assumed the presidency of the Chilean Football Federation in 2007 and convinced Marcelo Bielsa to undertake the challenge of qualifying La Roja for another World Cup.
Bielsa's work has earned the gratitude of Chilean fans. He implemented a style of play that is recognized and admired worldwide, which has resulted in well-deserved achievements for the current Chilean national team led by Pizzi.
They improved, and the numbers reflected that. They finished second in the 2010 qualifiers, just one point behind leaders Brazil. In the 2014 qualifiers, they finished third, four points behind leaders Argentina, with Jorge Sampaoli as the team's coach. Similar to the verticality and pressure-based game that Bielsa left behind, but with an evolution that allowed them to fight for a spot in the quarterfinals and win their first title in the history of the Chilean national team, reaching penalties in the World Cup.
Currently, under the guidance of Juan Antonio Pizzi, Chile continues to show a game based on pressure and offensive strength. Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sánchez, Eduardo Vargas, among others, form the team that is currently the best in the continent. They went through their worst moment 15 years ago and are now looking to continue writing the best chapter in their history.
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