That’s it. All over. Chile slammed Honduras 1-0. Very good on the ball but the quality, or lack of it, from the opposition must not be underestimated and Chile look devoid of a player who can put the finishing touch to all that good approach play.
The Swiss are no good but they’ll be a lot harder to play against than Honduras so be careful not to get carried away with the Chileans after this.
That’s all for now. We’ll be back soon for the Swiss against the favourites, Spain. Make sure to join us for that.
A bit of late pressure applied by Honduras …
… but it breaks down and Chile launch a counter attack, which ends with yet another wayward shot, who’s had four attempts at goal and has been as threatening as a one-armed boxer with a broken wrist.
A half a sight at goal for Honduras but Georgie Welcome whacks it into the stand. Rush of blood to the head but not surprising really – he’s been on for half an hour and he’s hardly had a kick.
Some more stats: it’s 16-6 to Chile in shots, and Chile’s players have covered just 79km in total compared to more than 92km for Honduras. A sort-of-familiar face on: Mark Gonzalez, one of Rafa Benitez’s rare transfer flops, is on for the Chileans. Valdivia goes off.
I knew that would get a response. Pablo in Drogheda says that’s the worst joke he’s heard this World Cup. Thanks, Pablo.
Into the last six minutes here. 58 per cent possession for Chile, which is a little surprising. It was up in the mid-60s in the first half.
Ten minutes left in Nelsbruit, and we have another wayward shot from Sanchez. Can’t blame the ball for that one, Alexis.
Actually, if I was to sum up the Udinese winger, it would be Alexis mid-wide runner.
I’ll get my coat.
This one has been every bit as one-sided as Germany-Australia, but still just a goal between the sides. If they can get Humberto Suazo fit – I don’t know much about him but he’s their number one centre forward – they could pose a real threat to some of the big guns in this tournament.
Ball in the net for Chile. Valdivia it is but it’s ruled out for two offsides and a handball. Unlucky.
This is like five-a-side stuff. Chile have the ball in the Honduras box for about four minutes (I’m exaggerating, obviously. It was probably only two) but they can’t find the net. Chile are so tidy and have some excellent midfielders but they don’t have much of a cutting edge. The only goal ricocheted in off the centre forward.
“How the hell are Honduras at the World Cup, and we’re not,” says Sean in Dublin.
As a famous meerkat once said, Sean. Simples. They qualify by playing Canada, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
The longer this goes on 1-0, the stronger the likelihood of Honduras nicking something. They’re showing a bit more ambition. Corner.
We have another Wigan player on the field – Hendry Thomas replaces his captain Guevarra in the Honduras midfield.
Sitter missed by Chile. Another exceptional dead-ball by Fernandez is headed across goal by Vidal but Ponce lives up to his name by missing the header from three yards out. Credit to the keeper – Valladares got across well.
Suddenly we get a clatter of emails together. Mayo Frank takes no offence to the Mayo Croker jibe: “Did you SEE us against Sligo? Pathetic.”
And Golly from Carlow says: “Chile are a welcome distraction for the dross we’ve seen so far, brings me back to the days of Ivan Zamarano and Marcelo Salas.”
Certainly do, Frank. This team could be even better than that one.
Very close to a second for Chile. Alexis Sanchez finds himself through on goal down the right channel but pulls his shot across goal. Apart from his crossing and his shooting, and occasional dives, Sanchez has been brilliant.
And the great names just keep on coming.
We give a big welcome to … big Georgie Welcome. He’s on for Pavon up front for Honduras, which is a bit of a futile move since the rest of the team has barely been able to get the ball across the half-way line.
Chile have some classy players. Sanchez has caught the eye but Jorge Valdivia and Matias Fernandez look very good too. They’ve been sending in some cracking dead-ball deliveries.
Frank in Mayo has dropped us a mail:
“I like the way Chile play, Alexis Sanchez is a joy to watch! If both Spain and Chile win their first two fixtures we could be in for a real treat when they meet in the last game.”
Or not, Frank, as by that stage they’ll both be through and will rest all their first-team players. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Hope you didn’t mind my Mayo-Croke Park reference earlier, either.
Has to be a matter of time before Chile score another. They’re queuing up every time – five Chile players in the box there but it falls Honduras’s way. Chile sub: Gonzalo Jara on for Mee-yaaaar.
The good and the bad from Izaguirre. He didn’t buy the lollypops from Sanchez inside the area but having robbed the little Chile winger of possession, tripped over himself and backheeled the ball out of play. Haven’t seen anything like that since Ian Harte circa his whole Ireland career.
Big penalty shout for Honduras. Medel on Alvarez just at the edge of the area. “Not a difficult decision,” says Craig Burley, before doubting himself a bit: “That looks a penalty.”
Had a look at the replay. I reckon the Seychelles official made the right call. Medel touched the ball and made very little contact on the Honduran.
We’re back on. No changes on either side.
“Other than Germany, Chile have been the most impressive side we’ve seen,” says Dunphy.
“They play fearlessly,” he adds, conveniently ignoring the fact that they’ve nothing to fear.
Half-time at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. Just before the break Honduras have their best moment of the game with a free kick from Nunez which is comfortably tipped over by Bravo, who then goes a bit AWOL from the resulting corner. There could be hope in that for Honduras. But not much.
Millar (pronounced Mee-yaaar), Sanchez and Valdivia cut Honduras to shreds but the shot is blocked and the goalkeeper is fouled for the follow-up. I’m coming round to agreeing with the Burley/Champion axis. Chile are looking better by the minute. I’ll qualify that by adding that Honduras look every inch a team that lost to Jamaica and Canada in qualifying.
A rare bit of an attack by Honduras. Nunez slices a nine-iron high and wide of the Chile goal. “Wilson Palacios doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going,” says co-commentator Craig. The Hondurans look like they could be torn apart, particularly down their right.
The lads in the commentary box are going over the top. Just because Chile are actually passing the ball on the deck and showing some ambition, Champion and Burley (they sound like a cabaret act…) are raving about them.
GOAL CHILE!
Jean Beausejour. Isla got down the right, sent in a low cross and an attempted clearance cannoned back off Beausejour’s chest and into the net. Great move, lucky finish, but fully deserved by Chile.
Figueroa, the finest left back in Wigan, was so late on Sanchez that the referee didn’t see any foul. And 60 seconds later a free is given against Espinoza for clearly winning the ball. And now he’s booked Palacios, seemingly for persistent fouling. Even though he didn’t commit that foul.
Craig Burley’s all-too-authoritative air tends to grate but he could be spot on about this ref.
Fernandez walking a red-card-hued tightrope. In the book already and chopped down Nunez there. According to Jon Champion, Chile played two friendly internationals on the same day recentlyand beat both Northern Ireland and Israel with different teams. Not sure if that says more about their strength in depth or how crap both Norn Iron and the Representatives of Mossad are.
Should have been 1-0 Chile. From a corner, Vidal with a free header from eight yards but he fails to keep it on the goal. George Burley on ITV reckons this referee has a dodgy decision in him. Eddy Maillet is the whistler’s name. He’s from the Seychelles but he’s no relation of Timmy.
Chile already have two midfielders – Carmona and Fernandez – on yellows and could easily have had another there. Vidal dived in recklessly but the referee, like a forgiving traffic cop, kept his book in his pocket.
Despite sounding like a nasty piece of work from Dynasty, this Alexis Sanchez guy looks really good. Has just led a rapid counter-attack but, at the risk of sounding like Lawro-lite, he let himself down with the final ball.
David Sheehan again: “I say looks, I was at the printer and saw about 50 seconds of it…could be way off !”
No telly, Dave? Too bad. Stick with us – Honduras have a corner.
I suppose they’re right to say “Pon-say”, but it would be great if the commentators just said: Ponce.
It’s like the German midfielder from back in the day, Stefan Kuntz. Motty went for “Koooooontz”, just to avoid being bleeped out, like.
Plenty of nice one-touch play from Chile, who look quite good. Honduras, incidentally, is the first country to have three brothers in a World Cup squad – Wilson, Johnny and Jerry Palacios. Wilson is the only one of the three to start today. A fourth member of the Palacios clan, teenage Edwin, was kidnapped and murdered last year.
David Sheehan, who loves using spaces in the wrong places, has been in touch: “Looks lively enough so far ! Plenty of tackles flying in !”
Alexis Sanchez, the right-winger who plays with Udinese, has attracted interest from Real Madrid and has scored 11 goals in 28 international appearances, has looked really good so far. Without doing a whole lot, to be honest. But already, he could be today’s Shop Window.
Despite the defeats Honduras suffered in qualifying, they’re still three places ahead of Ireland in the world rankings. Which goes to prove that they’re not too bad. Either that or Fifa’s rankings are as pointless as a Mayo forward in Croke Park.
First yellow of the game to Carmona, Chile’s sort-of-Lee Carsley-with-hair in the middle of the field.
Wilson Palacios crunches into a tackle, giving away a free about 30 yards out straight in front of goal.
Matias Fernandez curls it just over the top. Looked like the goalkeeper was in control of it, but then again so did he.
And we’re off. Keep me company by dropping a line to the email, Facebook and Twitter address above.
“I find Marcelo Bielsa a very innovative and exciting manager.”
Damien Richardson must have been up all night studying this stuff.
Carlos Pavon is the main man, says Damien Richardson, offering a very un-RTE-like level of research. Chile have Sanchez, Valdivia and Beausejour in a three-pronged attack.
The Suazo brothers – Humberto of Chile, David of Honduras – are both on the bench for their respective sides.
Almost read to go here.
First World Cup match for Chile since 1998, when they had Bam Bam Zamorano and Marcelo “I Never Eat Salads” Salas up front. That was a classy side. Wonder if this one is up to snuff?
It’s going to be a comfortable win for Chile, says Didi. Germany apart, don’t think we’ve seen a comfortable win yet so it would surprise me if we got it here. Honduras lost to Canada, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States twice in qualifying.
We drew twice with Italy and beat France after 90 minutes and we’re not there. Something wrong somewhere.
“Chile have to be respected. To finish second in that group is a real achievement.”
That’s the Dunph, who’s on duty early on RTE. Didi Hamann’s eyebrows reckon you don’t want to play the South Americans, because they’re very skilful and have “a bit of nastiness”.
Team news:
Some excellent names for Chile. We have a bit of a sissy in Ponce, a decidedly non-Chilean sounding Millar and a Beausejour, which means “Fine holiday.”
Honduras: Valladares, Chavez, Figueroa, Nunez, W. Palacios, Pavon, Espinoza, Alvarez, Guevarra, Izeguirre, Mendoza.
Chile: Bravo, Ponce, Isla, Carmona, Sanchez, Vidal, Valdivia, Fernandez, Beausejour, Medel, Millar.
Right, another day, another load of drivel? Let’s hope not. It’s Honduras’ first World Cup appearance since 1982 and despite the presence of Premier League regulars such as Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa they’ll be up against it today.
Chile finished second in CONMEBOL qualifying, a point behind Brazil, level with Paraguay and five points ahead of Argentina, so they’ll fancy their chances of making a winning start to the tournament. Both sides will know they really need to win here to have any chance of advancing to the last 16 – they only have tournament favourites and European champions Spain, who start out against Switzerland at 3pm, to come.
