Switzerland 0-1 Chile as it happened

With Conor Hogan

Thanks very much for joining us. We’ll be back again for the Spain v Honduras game, which kicks off at 7.30pm.

The lads in the RTE studio are delighted Chile won, describing Switzerland’s style of play as anti-football.

Two wins out of two for Chile. The only thing they’ll be annoyed about is that they didn’t score more. Switzerland played horrible defensive football even before they had a man sent off. In the second half they almost got an equaliser, but it would have been incredibly unfair. Chile played wonderful stuff at times, though the way they play might suit Spain.

If Spain draw with Honduras, then Chile will qualify tonight. But that isn’t going to happen, is it?

In this World Cup, though, you never know.

Full time

For a second I thought the ref had blown for a penalty to Chile, but in fact he booked Valdivia for diving. Another yellow card. A good decision this time.

Medel gave the ball to Derdiyok, who had a great chance to equalise, but he hit it just wide. It would have been very harsh on Chile.

Another great break from Chile. Anchez plays the ball to Paredes who turns to his left and shoots wide. 19 shots to 5 for Chile now.

Mark Gonzalez hits the ball straight at Benaglio. Chile could be four or five goals to the good at this stage. Only three minutes left now. Spain are going to be a little worried.

Great chance for Paredes. Blasts the ball over the bar from six yards. For all the chances they’ve had in the last two matches, they’ll be annoyed to have only got two goals. That could cost them in the end if they lose to Spain.

If Spain beat Honduras and Chile, and Switzerland beat Honduras all three teams will finish with six points. FIFA will then decide which of the three teams get out of the group, by organising a sudden death pie-eating contest.

Chile finally score. Durban born Mark Gonzalez with the goal. Chile exploited the offside trap, substitute Paredes crossed the ball to Gonzalez who made a meal of the header at the near post. It bounced off the ground and went in.

Goal Chile!

A wayward pass there from a Chile player. Ponce.

‘The referees in this world cup have been about as efficient and worth having as my 6 month fitness plan, which is currently in its sixth month, pretty sure i had a mini heart attack earlier on! and i was sittin…..in front of a computer!!’ says Shane from Navan

Matias Fernadez off, Paredes on. That’s all three substitutes used. Ziegler hits the ball in, it deflects off Bravo and it goes out for a corner. The corner is cleared. It must have been weird for Switzerland to be so far up the pitch.

‘This ref is crazy’ reckons Billy from Tipp town. I agree. But don’t you have to be crazy to be a ref anyway? He’s also a teacher, I’d hate to have been in his class.

Another yellow card from the ref, this time for Gokan Inler. This ref seems to have yellow fever. Fernandez was booked in the same incident, and he’ll miss the next match. And then Medel gets booked too. Will there be a player left on the pitch who doesn’t get booked?

502 minutes without conceding now for the Swiss. They sure can defend, but can they make a good cup of tea? Gonzalez just headed over.

Martin O’Leary has been emailing us, and he reckons ‘Ronnie Whelan is a turnip.’ I disagree, I think he’s probably a spud. Great chance for Chile. Goalmouth scramble, Sanchez shoots, great save, and cleared away. All Chile.

Goal Chile!

Or at least I thought it was. Sanchez’ deflected shot has been chalked off for offside. Switzerland have now gone 499 minutes without conceding in the World Cup. This possibly suggests that they might be a slightly defensive side.

Second kicks off. Double change for Chile. Mark Gonzalez and Valdivia on for Vidal and Suazo.

Half time

Isla whips a ball across the box that nobody can get a foot on. Half time. Four yellows and a red. It hasn’t even been that bad tempered a match.

If anything Switzerland have improved with ten men. Some great play from Sanchez though, great footwork, shot deflected, and straight to Benaglio.

Alexander Frei off Tranquillo Barnetta on. Frei delighted that injury isn’t the reason he’s going off this time. Barnetta unlikely to be sent off with a name like Tranquillo.

Switzerland are defending like beavers, to paraphrase Chris Kamara.

Sanchez hits striaght at Benaglio. How are Chile not winning? Because they haven’t scored. Answered my own question there.

Chile have had 56% of the ball so far. Suazo just headed over. The Swiss are hanging on now.

Corner to Chile. Taken short by Fernandez. Isla hits it straight at the fist defender. Suazo trys to play a through ball, but Benalgio intercepts it.

Tenth red card of the Tournament. Send your comments to shout@joe.ie. What do you think of the referees performance so far?

RED CARD! Switzerland

Behrami gets sent off for elbowing Vidal. Dragging a shirt mostly, Vidal play-acted. Tale of this World Cup. Harsh.

Nkufo nearly got into a goalscoring position, but Bravo got out quickly and booted the ball away. Great goalkeeping.

Lichtensteiner passes straight to Bravo. Whose fault is all these wayward passes? Is it the wind? Is it the ball? Is it the Vuvuzelas? Is it the pitch?

Chile player kicks the ball away petulantly. Ponce. He gets booked. Fourth booking so far.

Vidal plays a clever ball forward that goes straight to Benalgio. Precious little in the way of goalscoring oppurtunities so far. Very stop start match.

Chile look like they could give Spain some trouble in the final match. Could we get a World Cup with more shocks than ’02? Ref gives another card, this time to Carmona. He’ll miss the next match. A correct decision this time. Dreadful tackle.

If you’ve been wondering what Frei has been doing since getting injured in the Euros, he scored 15 goals for Basle last year. It was an injury plagued season, but what do you expect with Frei.

Fernandez offside, from a ball from Isla. Good decision.

Nkufo just got booked for pulling a shirt. Terrible decision.

Chile look excellent at the moment. Switzerland finding it hard to get into the game.

If Switzerland don’t concede it’ll be their sixth World Cup clean sheet in a row. Fresh air shot there by Suazo. All Chile at the moment.

Brilliant double save by Benalgio. Vidal with the first shot, Carmona with the second.

You can still hear the Vuvuzelas, but there is an almost football match like atmosphere at this game.

Bielsa, the Chilean manager has been described as the most attack minded coach in the world. They’ve had most of the ball and have a free kick from a good position. It’s cleared, and Sanchez hits over the bar.

Wembley isn’t the only place that seems to have pitch problems. The players weren’t allowed train on it the day before, it is so bad.

It kicks off. Humburto Suazo booked in the first minute for a tackle on Grichting.

Ossie Ardiles in the RTE studio predicts 2-1 to Chile. Ronnie Whelan has Chile to win too, while Souness sits on the fence but wants Chile to win.

Suazo is in for Chile today, he has a lethal record in South American football, scoring 44 in 85 games for Monterrey, and 52 in 52 for Colo-Colo (the football team, not the soft drink). He has 18 in 42 for Chile, and was the highest league goalscorer in the world in 2006. Senderos is out for the Swiss, but they played better without him anyway.

Team news:

Chile:-Claudio Bravo; Mauricio Isla, Gary Medel, Waldo Ponce; Arturo Vidal; Carlos Carmona, Gonzalo Jara, Matias Fernandez; Alexis Sanchez, Humberto Suazo, Jean Beausejour.

Switzerland: Diego Benaglio; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Stephane Grichting, Steve Von Bergen, Reto Ziegler; Valon Behrami, Gokhan Inler, Benjamin Huggel, Gelson Fernandes; Alexander Frei, Blaise Nkufo.

Referee: Khalil Al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)