Final Scoreline for Match 49 (Round of 16 #1):
BRAZIL - 1 (3)
(David Luiz 18')
CHILE - 1 (2)
(Alexis Sanchez 32')
What...a...match!
And what a beginning to the Round of 16 knockouts! Hats off to Chile for stretching the pre-tournament favorites all the way to the distance into a penalty shootout. This from a team who have never gone the distance in a WC match, specially extra time and penalty shootouts, and have lost 9 out of their last 10 encounters against Brazil.
When David Luiz fired in the first goal for Brazil in the 18th minute itself, it looked like Brazil would be dominating the entire match. Instead, Chile got a stranglehold on the match and started to squeeze the free-flowing play of Brazil, and got the equaliser through a nonchalant tap by Sanchez. First half ended 1-1, with promise of plenty of goals to come.
But the second half in almost all it's entirety belonged to Chile. They dominated possession and starved Brazil of the ball and chances at goal. Brazil came close to scoring twice, but Jo missed an easy chance to tap the goal in and Hulk's nicely finished "goal" was deemed a handball by the referee, which replays suggested was a legitimate goal.
Kudos to Cesar for keeping a thundering header out as well, else Chile might have gone 2-1 up.
Full time ended at 1-1, and both teams looked tired by then. The extra time halves yielded no goals, and after 120 minutes of play, the score stayed 1-1. And it was time for the first penalty shootout of World Cup 2014.
David Luiz netted the first shot easily in, Brazil went ahead 1-0.
Cesar blocked Chile's first shot from Pinilla, and it stayed 1-0 Brazil.
Brazil's 2nd shot went wide. 1-0 Brazil.
Cesar saved Chile's 2nd shot! 1-0 Brazil.
Marcelo, Brazil's 3rd shot, shoots in. 2-0 Brazil.
Chile's 3rd went in as well. 2-1 Brazil.
4th shot was taken by Hulk, and saved. 2-1 Brazil.
Chile's Diaz coolly slotted their 4th in. 2-2 draw and sudden death time...
Neymar thundered the 5th shot in. 3-2 Brazil.
Chile's Gonzalo Jara shoots and beats Cesar all ends up, but his shot hits the right bar!!
BRAZIL END UP WINNING 3-2 ON PENALTIES!!
Chile, despite their valiant efforts and superlative show, are out. Brownie points to them for putting up such a fight.
Brazil still don't look convincing enough. Their defense and their possession of ball play still needs a lot of improvement. An attacking team like Netherlands, France or Germany can still beat them, if they don't tighten up certain aspects of their game.
Either way, Brazil are the first team to enter the Round of 8 - the Quarter-Finals. They will now await the winner of the Colombia vs Uruguay match.