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Final Score: Chile 2, Spain 0
SPAIN IS OUT OF THE WORLD CUP
Spain has become the second team to eliminated from World Cup after a lifeless showing in the Maracana against Chile. The Chilean team played like champions from the first whistle, never letting Spain settle on the ball. The goals came from Vargas and Aránguiz in the first half with Spain unable to recover. For the third time in the last four World Cups, the defending champs are going home in the first round.
Here’s how it went down in the Maracana:
Chile Fans Attempted to Break Into the Stadium
A marauding group of Chile fans attempted to break into the FIFA media center, reports The Daily Mirror. According to the UK tabloid, 50-100 supporters broke through a barrier and “smashed through a glass door.” Security guards in the Maracana were slow to react to the disturbance. The game still kicked off as planned.
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There was also an issue before kick off with Chilean fans nearly splling on to the field. There’s an insane pro-Chile crowd in the Maracana right now.
The Ref Was New Jersey’s Mark Geiger
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The ref for this huge game is Mark Geiger, a former New Jersey high school math teacher. It’s his second game in the 2014 World Cup, he also took charge of the Colombia/Greece game.
Eduardo Vargas Gave Chile the Lead
Chile got in front after 20 minutes when Eduardo Vargas took advantage of sloppy Spanish defending to place the ball home.
3 – Eduardo Vargas has scored the last four #CHI ‘ goals against #ESP (four goals in three meetings). Nightmare.
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) June 18, 2014
The ball was threaded across the Spanish box by Charles Aránguiz where Vargas took a calm touch which forced Casillas to commit, with the goalkeeper already down, Vargas slotted it in.
Eduardo Vargas is a winger who spent the 2013/14 season on loan at Valencia in La Liga from Napoli in Serie A. That goal was his 15th in 31 games for Chile.
Charles Aránguiz Made it 2-0 Just Before Halftime
Charles Aránguiz hit home at rebound after an Alexis Sanchez free kick was punched away by Iker Casillas. The Spanish defenders were too slow to react as Aranguiz had the time to control the ball on his chest and put it into the net. Spain now need to at least score twice just to stay in the 2014 World Cup. Walking along the sidelines, Vicente del Bosque looks like a man who is out of ideas.
Sergio Busquet Had the Miss of the Tournament
After a Sergio Ramos free kick was punched away by Bravo. The ball broke on the right of the goal, Diego Costa spectacularly overhead kicked the ball across the Chilean goal where an unmarked Sergio Busquets had an open goal. The Barcelona midfielder half-heartedly made contact with the ball, as it hit his shin, and spilled wide.
On Twitter, users speculated that the miss was karma due to this incident:
Mauricio Isla Had a Miss That Rivaled Busquets’ For Chile
Juventus midfielder Mauricio Isla ventured forward to latch on to a Vargas shot-cum-cross inside the Spanish box. The ball was threaded along the ground to Isla who had an open goal, he stretched to reach it but blazed it over the bar. The miss isn’t as devastating for Chile as Busquets’ one, Chile still looked comfortable as the game entered the final stages.
Spain's collapse explained @JokerKingRiot @MenInBlazers This warlock has put a curse on Spain! #ESPCHI #WorldCup2014 pic.twitter.com/VtRtDzLLpp
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 18, 2014
