The Chilean national team lost 0-2 to Tunisia in a friendly match played today in Japan, where Eduardo Berizzo’s Red suffered decisive defensive failures and was also unsuccessful in attack.
Chile was overtaken by the African team in the match played this Friday at the Noevir Stadium in Kobe (western Japan), the second with Berizzo on the bench after the 0-2 loss against South Korea last Monday.
The South Americans began to gain control of the ball as the first half progressed and looked for combination play, as “Toto” Berizzo had claimed in the days leading up to the match. A very active Ben Breneton Díaz appeared throughout the Chilean attack front, where more ideas were lacking to find spaces.
The Blackburn Rovers striker starred in the first dangerous arrival with a shot from close range in the 25th minute that was saved by the Tunisian goalkeeper, after a good combination from the Chilean midfield.
Five minutes later came another even clearer opportunity in a run by Eugenio Mena down the left, followed by a shot that Brereton Díaz crashed into the goalkeeper and whose rejection sent Montecinos over the crossbar when he had everything in his favour.
It would be Tunisia, which until then had hardly generated any danger, which went ahead on the scoreboard. Drager hung a ball from the right and headed it into the El Abdi net with virtually no opposition from the Chilean defense.
At the start of the second half, the picture did not improve too much for Chile against some Tunisians who seemed closer to 0-2 with up to four occasions in the first ten minutes, although without aim. The clearest was for Jaziri, with a shot inside the area that Zacarías López deflected.
Berizzo, probably not very happy with the performance of his team, took Medel and Brereton Díaz off the field in the 59th minute, to bring on Tomás Alarcón and Jean Meneses. The latter generated danger with an internment in the area just entered the grass, although his shot hit a defender, and Galdames could not see the door either after hunting the rebound.
Meneses had even worse luck in the next play, in which he suffered an injury and had to leave the game after playing just ten minutes and leaving his place to Diego Valencia.
Chile pressed with 15 minutes remaining and began adding chances, the first clear with a header from Ronnie Fernández that went very close to the crossbar, a pass from Mena, and the second with a cross shot from Montecinos.
Tunisia managed to score the 0-2 through Jebali after a new disconnection from the Chilean defense, although the goal was annulled for offside. It was a warning of what would happen in the 89th minute: Jebali himself sent an assist from Drager to the net, this time legally, after an error in the Red’s ball exit.
Chile still had the opportunity to shorten the deficit thanks to a penalty by a Tunisian defender inside the area in the fourth minute of added time. Valencia was in charge of launching it but Dahmen read the shot perfectly, and the Tunisian goalkeeper also repelled the shot that Galdames connected after the rebound.
Berizzo’s Chile, who have yet to win or have managed to score a goal, will face the winner of the match between Japan and Ghana next Tuesday in Osaka, as part of the Kirin Cup that is taking place these days in Japan and which It serves as preparation for the World Cup in Qatar for the participating teams that have managed to qualify.
La Roja remains expectant from Japanese lands about a FIFA resolution for the Byron Castillo case, whose improper alignment by Ecuador in the World Cup qualifiers was denounced by the Chilean federation, which could lead to a sanction for the Tricolor and open the options of teams that were left out of the classification, as is the case of Chile.
