Brazil edge Chile on penalties

Brazil are through to the World Cup quarter finals after an incredible penalty shootout win over Chile in Belo Horizonte. The game went right to the wire, and Gonzalo Jara’s penalty miss was what sent the Roja out and the Selecao through.

The game was somewhat scrappy in its opening exchanges, though it didn’t take long for Brazil to assert themselves as the greater attacking threat.

By the time they took the lead, they had already gone close through a Marcelo attempt from the edge of the box, and had a good penalty shout turned down after Hulk was tripped by Mauricio Isla.

It took just 18 minutes before the opening goal came, and unsurprisingly, it was the result of Brazil capitalising on their big-height advantage on set pieces.

A corner from Neymar was flicked on by Thiago Silva at the near post, and conveniently right onto the path of a lurking David Luiz. Despite pressure from Gonzalo Jara, the defender poked the ball into an empty net to break the deadlock.

Brazil looked fairly comfortable after taking the lead, and largely coped with Chile’s high pressing with dangerous long balls up to Neymar. That was until Hulk made a catastrophic giveaway in his own third, just past the half-hour, allowing Alexis Sanchez to pounce on a pass from a teammate and slot the ball past Julio Cesar for 1-1.

Brazil continued to look dangerous after the restart, and they thought they had taken the lead within 10 minutes of play.

A long ball forward was brought down and scuffed home by Hulk, only for referee Howard Webb to disallow the goal for handball. It was an extremely tight call, and one that wasn’t going to make Webb any more popular with the home supporters.

With no goal forthcoming, extra time beckoned.

The first few minutes came and went with little in the way of goalmouth action, save for Bravo taking one of Jo’s boots to his neck in an inadvertent collision. Fortunately, the Chile goalkeeper was safe to continue, and was called into action on a powerful low effort from his nemesis Hulk on the edge of the box in the final few minutes of the first period.

The second was no more exciting, but no less tense. Both sides looked understandably nervous, as if sapped of all their energies by the grim inevitability of penalties. However, a momentary lapse in concentration by Brazil allowed Chile substitute Mauricio Pinilla to strike a fierce effort towards goal, only for it to rocket back off Julio Cesar’s crossbar. A penalty shootout was no longer a mere probability.

The tension in Belo Horizonte could be cut with a knife. Brazil goalkeeper Júlio César was literally in tears. But his team went into the lead by a remarkably cool first penalty from Luiz. César then kept out Chile’s first penalty, with Pinilla’s centrally-placed penalty comfortably saved. It was a lead that should have been wiped out when Willian scuffed his penalty wide, though César kept out Sánchez’s spot-kick to keep Brazil ahead.

Marcelo doubled Brazil’s advantage with his penalty, despite Bravo getting a palm to the shot. Aranguiz’s fearless strike into the top corner ensured things were still very tight when Hulk stepped up next. Hulk couldn’t convert, as Bravo dived but stuck out his leg to keep out his central spot-kick. The miss handed Marcelo Diaz the chance to level things up for Chile, and he did so with aplomb. Sudden death ensued.

Tournament posterboy Neymar was the man tasked with hitting the net for Brazil, and he did so remarkably, coolly, after a stuttered run-up. That meant Jara needed to score to keep Chile in the competition,but his penalty agonisingly kissed the post before heading wide.

Brazil headed through by the narrowest of margins, while Chile will now head home.