WORLD CUP: Chile routs Australia

Two early strikes and one very late effort saw
Chile to a 3-1 victory over Australia in their
opening Group B encounter.
Talisman Alexis Sanchez, influential
playmaker Jorge Valdivia and lively winger
Jean Beausejour did the damage for a side
considered by many to be dark horses to go
all the way in Brazil.
Tim Cahill did pull one back for the Socceroos,
offering their young side hope, but they now
have it all to do in a group which also includes
reigning world champions Spain and the side
that hammered them 5-1 in the group’s other
fixture on Friday - Holland.
It took just 12 minutes for Chile to break the
deadlock in Cuiaba, with confusion in the
Australian penalty area seeing them fail to
clear their lines and present Sanchez with an
opportunity to prod past Matthew Ryan from
close range.
A second arrived just two minutes later, with
Sanchez squaring for an unmarked Valdivia to
pick his spot from just inside the box.
Chile were in complete control at that stage,
but a trademark back post header on 35
minutes from Cahill – his country’s all-time
leading goalscorer – offered Australia a
lifeline and opened the game up as a contest.
The action flowed from end-to-end after the
interval, with Cahill, Mark Bresciano and
Eduardo Vargas all going close.
It was, however, in the second minute of
stoppage-time that the result was finally put
beyond doubt, with Wigan Athletic winger
Beausejour rifling low into the bottom corner
from 20 yards out.
Spain's surprise hammering earlier in the day
potentially opened up a route through the
group for the highly rated Chileans, and they
began as if it was all too easy.
Australia, by contrast, were ragged and cut
open with regularity in the early stages. Their
goal was breached for the first time in the 12th
minute.
Challenges were few and far between as
Sanchez found Charles Aranguiz and he was
allowed to cross for Eduardo Vargas.
Vargas failed to make clean contact with his
header but Australia failed to clear and
Sanchez calmly picked his spot and lashed
home from six yards.
Chile doubled their lead less than two minutes
later as they powerfully swept forward once
again.
Sanchez brilliantly turned Mile Jedinak and
raced into space as Vargas drew the defence
with a well-timed run.
He picked out Valdivia on the edge of the box
and the finish, into the roof of the net, was
clinical.
The game seemed beyond Australia at that
early stage and Chile looked likely to increase
their lead as they maintained their tempo for
much of the opening half-hour.
But Australia gradually began to settle and
Cahill dragged them back into the game.
Chile captain and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo
invited pressure with a poor clearance. His
defence did appear to repel any threat but Ivan
Franjic won the ball back for Australia,
exchanged passes with Mathew Leckie and
whipped in a dangerous cross into the area.
Former Everton star Cahill timed his leap
perfectly to plant a firm header past Bravo.
The game then opened up considerably.
Mauricio Isla was released by a fine pass from
Vidal but was denied by a superb challenge
from Jason Davidson.
Early in the second half Cahill headed past
Bravo once again, from a Leckie, cross only to
be frustrated by an offside flag.
Bravo produced a brilliant save to keep out a
powerful first-time shot from Mark Bresciano
from a Davidson cross.
Play switched quickly to the other end where
Alex Wilkinson cleared off the line after
Vargas dinked the ball over Maty Ryan from
another defence-splitting Sanchez pass.
Bresciano continued to get forward from
midfield in search of an equaliser and fired
wide. Cahill's presence in advanced positions
also gave Chile continuing problems.
Cahill appealed for a penalty after going down
in a challenge from Gonzalo Jara with two
minutes remaining but nothing was given.
The task proved beyond the Socceroos and
substitute Beausejour wrapped up the scoring
after Ryan saved from Mauricio Pinilla.
Culled from Sky Sports