#18-Chile

#18-Chile
Nickname-La Roja (The Red)
CONMEBOL
FIFA Ranking-#14
Group B (Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia)
Projected Results...
Loss to Spain
Loss to Netherlands
Win to Australia
Manager-Jorge Sampaoli
Qualified through third place finish in CONMEBOL WC Qualification Group
9th World Cup Appearance (1930, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1998, 2010)

Chile is another team who just got screwed by the draw. They'd be, at very least, second best in a lot of the other groups. Chile had an impressive qualification campaign, only finishing behind Argentina and Colombia. Chile has a lot of players that may not be well known, but are incredibly important to their club teams' successes. The issue here isn't Chile's skill level--they're a very skilled team. It's just that Spain and Netherlands are two of the best teams in the world. Chile will not be an easy game for anyone. I expect them to be a pain in the butt for every team they face. Three players to watch out for:

Alexis Sanchez-Plays for Barcelona and is a forward. So important for this team. Aged 25, he will need to score and set up his teammates. Truly a great player. 65 appearances, 22 goals.

Matias Fernandez-Plays for Fiorentina in the Serie A in the midfield, and is a player that can score as well as set his teammates up. He and Alexis will look to link up for goals and will also set their other teammates up. 60 appearances, 14 goals.

Gary Medel-Probably the best defensive player Chile has. He plays for Cardiff City in the Premier League, and spent a couple years at Sevilla in La Liga in Spain before joining Cardiff in 2013. I would slot him as a center defensive midfielder. He has 5 goals in 59 appearances for Chile, and is very versatile.

Chile is a good team, but not better than Spain and Netherlands. They'll be fun to watch, and will  likely finish third in the group.