Spain on the brink against 'suicidal' Chile

BRASILIA: Defending champions Spain will face the ‘suicidal’ attacking style of Chile at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday aiming to get their World Cup bid back on track and avoid an embarrassingly early exit.

Spain were ripped to shreds in a morale-sapping 5-1 defeat by the Netherlands in their Group B opener on Friday – their worst World Cup loss since a 6-1 mauling by Brazil in 1950.

With Chile recording a 3-1 victory over Australia in their opening match thanks to a suicidal attacking style, according to midfielder Arturo Vidal, the South Americans will reach the next round if they beat Spain and the Dutch sink the Socceroos in Wednesday’s first clash.

“For them it’s going to be a fight to the death,” Chile forward Esteban Paredes said of Spain. “And for us it’s going to be a real final, because a win will mean we are almost qualified.”

The Australians are expected to provide little resistance to the Dutch in Porto Alegre (1600 GMT) before Spain look to repeat their 2010 trick of losing their opening match but going on to win the tournament.

Wednesday’s matches conclude in Manaus with Cameroon and Croatia aiming to bounce back from opening Group A defeats and keep their bid for a knockout berth alive. – Reuters