Chile in Football World’s Elite after Copa Victory vs Argentina (Part II)

It was time to grow up for Chile, who decided that it is better to be ruthless champions than romantic heroes.

Chile had to face a team in the 2015 Copa America final that is clearly one of the best teams in the world according to online sportsbooks in the US. Though Argentina lost one of their most important players after Angel di Maria was substituted because of a hamstring injury in the first half, they still had the best footballer of the world on the pitch, who poses a considerable danger to any side in the world.

• Chile was on their way to become an elite side
• Messi were isolated by La Roja
• Confidence helped the hosts

Lionel Messi is the key in any team he plays for, and though he is virtually unstoppable while he plays for Barcelona, he has quite a different role when he contributes to the Argentina national football team. By stopping Messi, La Albiceleste is strongly limited, so Chile had to perform this trick to get into a position from where they have a reasonable shot for the Copa America title.

Messi was limited by Chile

Tata Martino designed his team to utilize Messi’s skills the best way for his side, but on this occasion the number ten was virtually invisible. Despite expressing before the game that Chile won’t man-mark Messi, as gaming news reported, Jorge Sampaoli deployed Marcelo Diaz deep in front of the defense with a special task of following the Barcelona superstar if he drops back to midfield. Messi had always someone next to him as the other two centre backs, Gary Medel and Francisco Silva were always around him accompanied by the midfielders, and Chile were able to isolate the superb forward. It turned out that against a quality opponent even Messi is unable to cope on his own.

The Chileans also made sure to place a few tough kicks on the visitors’ attackers – three of their defenders were booked in the first half – and that helped to unsettle the Argentines. In general, though the basic pattern of their total football did not change, Chile were much more pragmatic in this title decider than ever before. They opted for avoiding the possibility of dying beautifully and therefore they became an even more effective and even more dangerous side.

Chile was on the brink to enter the footballing elite

Mobile betting players saw last year that Brazil were struggling against Chile though playing at home and that La Roja was able to dispatch easily a Spanish national team that was over its peak. Okay, Holland destroying La Furia Roja in the group stage earlier and Germany embarrassing the hosts in the semifinal suggested that these sides weren’t really the crème de la crème of international football at the time, but also indicated that Chile are ceased to be the sympathetic minors and started to become a footballing superpower.

And this summer they made a giant leap towards the firm elite. Jorge Sampaoli united the exciting, ever-attacking and ever-pressing, clever and creative football, the Bielsisme that attracted a lot of neutral fans in the past years, with some Machiavellian tactics, which is usually a mandatory feature for winners. With his gameplan, Sampaoli catapulted Chile to the firm elite of the footballing world, and therefore his side was able to keep Argentina quiet for 120 minutes.

Yet to claim the trophy, they still had to win the penalty shootout. Their chances were boosted by the psychological advantage they gained through dominating Argentina for the whole game with their football that already required a lot of confidence and by playing in front of their own crowd. Only Messi was able to convert his spot-kick from the visitors, while Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega all failed. The Chileans all scored, which meant that the half-Panenka of Alexis Sanchez delivered the trophy for Chile the first time in the 99-year-long history of the Copa America.

Punters living in the United States are extremely lucky, as they will be able to watch the centenary edition of the Copa next year in their own country, where Chile, possibly with a very similar team, will try to defend the title. Though US gambling laws vary from state to state, those who live in a place with legalized sports betting will have the opportunity to wager on the oldest international soccer tournament, then go to the stadiums to enjoy the games.