Chile vs Australia Review

Chile burst onto the scene dominating the first 15 minutes of the match and scoring twice. Australia were able to right the ship but were they able to comeback and snatch the upset?

Alexis Sanchez found the back of the net after just 12 minutes. Australian goalie Matthew Ryan misplayed the ball which led to a scrum in front of the net where Sanchez was able to slam it home.

Just two minutes later, Chile hit again on the fast break as Sanchez laid it off to Jorge Valdivia who curled the ball into the back of the net.



Chile looked like they were about to walkover the Socceroos and it showed. Australia mounted a comeback after going down 2-0. 10 minutes before halftime, Tim Cahill rose above everyone else to head home a cross from Ivan Franjic and cut Chile's lead in half.

Cahill tormented the Chilean defense through out the second half but could find that final piece of skill to level the game. Chile were able to withstand the pressure before Jean Beausejour sealed the deal with a third goal after a save from Ryan. Australia may have been a bit unlucky to come out of the game without a point.

Takeways:
Man of the Match: Tim Cahill
Although his side lost, Cahill looked the most dangerous all night. The Socceroos' captain caused problems for Chile's centerbacks. Although Cahill wasn't able to secure any of the points for his team, he was the most dominant player on the pitch for the balance of the match.

Other thoughts:
Chile may have to rethink their strategy going forward. They were eager to throw everyone into attack but that left them vulnerable to Australia's crosses. More skilled teams like Spain and Netherlands will punish Chile if they're provided with the same chances.

I expected more from Arturo Vidal. Capable of dominating matches for Juventus, he should have been able to control the match against Australia but he was often invisible tonight.

Australia need to do more with their opportunities. The Aussies easily could have stolen a point or three if they had been able to take their chances. They now face an even steeper unhill climb if they're going to make a surprise run to the knockout stage.

Ryan struggled in net for the Socceroos, often misplaying the ball, which lead to a few of the Chile goals. Ryan will look to improve in Australia's next match.

Whats next:
Chile take on Spain on June 18 at 3pm EST.
Australia face off against the Netherlands onn June 18 at Noon EST.