The austral clubs live their worst moment in international events, since they have only won 2 of the last 18 matches

Chilean football lives its worst season of recent times. After the elimination of the Selection of Chile, to attend the Russia 2018 World Cup, the local teams follow the wake of failure. The Chilean squads are not up to international soccer, so much so that half of their representatives in Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana have already been eliminated.

Gone are the two American Cups reached by the 'Red', the titles obtained by the University of Chile in the South American of 2011, and the Libertadores’ championship obtained by Colo-Colo in the 1991. Today, the reality is different, since the austral teams occupied the last place in the table of performance of the South American teams so far this year. They reached the last place with a game won, two tied matches and six lost, with 4 goals in favor and 15 against, with a performance of 18.5 percent.

The performance is shameful when compared to the international podium, led by the Colombian squads, with a performance of 70.8 percent (five wins, two ties and one defeat). In the second position there are the Uruguayan teams, with 48.1 percent (three wins, four ties and two defeats), and in the third location, the Argentinean cast stands out, with an average of 42.9 percent (two wins, three ties and two falls).

Half-Chilean teams have been eliminated

2018 has not been a good year for Chilean football, since there have passed only three and a half months and already half-Chilean clubs are out of international events:

• The Spanish Union, in Copa Sudamericana, fell obstrepersously before the unknown Sport Huancayo, with just 11 years of foundation.
• The University of Concepción said goodbye in the first round of the Libertadores after being overtaken by the Brazilian team Vasco da Gama, with a global score of 6-0.
• Another cast that lost in Libertadores was Santiago Wanderers, which despite beating the Melgar of Peru, was eliminated by Santa Fe (Colombian team).
• Finally, Everton was eliminated from the Copa Sudamerica by Caracas, being the first time that a Venezuelan team beats Chile in a continental contest.

However, things do not end there. The popular team, Colo-Colo, also began its participation in the group stage with a 0-1 defeat against Atlético Nacional. The Chileans await the performance of Audax Italiano in Copa, although a good omen is not expected due to the poor performances he have shown in the championship.

What happens in the Chilean rental?

With 37 years of age, striker Esteban Paredes is the fundamental 'weapon' of the current champion of Chilean soccer, Colo Colo. Like the 'phoenix', Paredes resurfaced from the ashes and he has been a regular scorer of the local championship. While this performance is good for the team, it does not mean that there is a replacement at a national level.

Although promising players like Felipe Mora (Cruz Azul of Mexico) and Nicolás Castillo (Pumas of Mexico) have emerged, they have not matured in their territory. On the contrary, the players are quickly taken abroad, especially to Mexico. In the Aztec country, currently, there are 17 figures that are being targeted by the Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda.

Another situation that fans criticize in the national rent is the lack of reputable hires. This situation became more evident at the beginning of the current season, as it continues with the same players. For example, this is the case of Macnelly Torres, who always sounds at the start of each season for the Albo cast. Meanwhile, players like Matías Fernandez, Yeferson Soteldo, and Lucas Barrios were seduced without without reaching an agreement.

Latin American Post | Jorge Hernández
Translated from “ Fútbol: Los ‘tragos amargos’ de Chile”