Brazil Survives Penalty Kicks to Advance Past Chile

Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar stepped up when his team needed him, saving two penalties and forcing this miss from Gonazalo Jara

Brazil will advance to the next round thanks in big part to a post and a crossbar. As time was ticking down at the end of extra time Mauricio Pinilla launched a shot that beat Julio Cesar but smacked into the crossbar and away. Then in penalty kicks, after Neymar had put Brazil ahead 3-2, Gonzalo Jara's shot bounced off the inside of the post and out of bounds to seal the win.


This was hardly the impressive Brazilian team we have come to expect. They did strike first with David Luiz getting credit for a goal, albeit questionably, off a Neymar corner kick. Outside of that, Claudio Bravo and the Chilean defense managed to limit the chances for Brazil. Neymar was quiet for much of the day. Hulk performed well but was bested by Bravo on multiple occasions and did not receive much help from the likes of Oscar, Fred, Jo or Willian.

On the Chilean side, their goal was scored by Alexis Sanchez off a Hulk turnover and realistically played well enough to win in the second half. They had the recipe defensively to limit Neymar, mainly by using the triple team technique, and controlled the midfield as well as possession for most of that half. The only thing missing was a final pass and shot behind keeper Julio Cesar.

Extra time was pretty evenly played as both teams did have chances, but none closer than Pinilla's strike off the woodwork.

Brazil took an early lead in the shootout when David Luiz scored the first attempt. Julio Cesar made two consecutive saves on Chile's first two shots and Marcelo scored Brazil's third shot giving the hosts a 2-0 lead, with the two scores sandwiched around a Willian miss. Chile started to come back when Charles and Aranguiz and Marcelo Diaz scored and Bravo once again denied Hulk. Fittingly, Brazil's hopes of advancing in the first round of the shootout rested with Neymar who delivered with a goal past Bravo. Chile's hopes to tie was on the foot of Jara who could not find the back of the net, despite a decent strike sending Chile home despite a phenomenal effort.

Chile put on a very impressive display during this tournament and were mere feet from advancing. But the soccer gods had other ideas, granting a bounce for the hosts and enabling them to move on to face the winner of Colombia vs. Uruguay on July 4th.