Chile’s group has
been described as a nightmare group for Australia, with Spain seen has the
biggest hurdle for them. How is the group perceived from a Chilean perspective?
Is it intimidating having both the 2010 World Cup finalists in your group?
The
truth is that the group will be challenging for all four teams. I don’t think
any team wants to be disqualified from the World Cup without giving their best
from the beginning. It’s not intimidating to have both World Cup finalists in
the group, because we have practiced as hard as any other team. The reality is
that everything can change in the end, nothing is written in stone.
Do you think Spain is
playing to the same level and are the clear favourites, or is the team easier
to beat?
Spain
is the current World Cup champion, but I don’t know if this time they will win
again. I’m sure they will try their hardest and they will definitely show off
their skills.
Chile surprised
people with an impressive performance at Wembley, winning 2-0 against England.
Can we expect more stellar performances in Brazil?
The
match against England was our opportunity to measure ourselves against a strong
European rival. Before that we’d only had the chance to play against other
South American teams. We’ve been practicing hard, and getting a slot in the
World Cup has shown that we are more than ready to play against any team.
Since your new coach Jorge Sampaoli took over, La Roja has experienced a turn of fortune and recorded the best ever run of results in FIFA World Cup™ qualifying campaign. What has changed since Sampaoli joined, does he have different style of coaching that works better for the squad?
Sampioli joined the team because of his great work over
the years. He has had great performances with the University of Chile club under
his wing. This has translated to us and I think that’s the reason the team is
so strong.
Alexis Sanchez has come into his own this season at FC Barcelona, stepping up his performance. How important is Sanchez to Chile?
I respect Alexis for what he’s achieved and his great
performance is no news, he’s been doing well for a long time. What most people
haven’t noticed is that he’s shown strong performances in every team he’s
belonged to, and that’s the reason he made it to his current team. He is a
great player and performs that way in every match.
The Brazilian climate is going to be a challenge for some European teams. Will Chile have an advantage being accustomed to a South American climate?
I don’t know if we are going to have an advantage,
because every player usually plays in different countries so most of us are
used to different climates.
What do you think about the new Chile kits from PUMA? How about the new PWR ACTV technology that is within the shirts?
The technology used in the Chilean shirts is exceptional,
it’s essential to be comfortable so we can move, run and score with no problem.
As in any sport there is a great challenge, which is to help athletes perform
their best and PUMA has done that by using the PWR ACTV technology in our
shirts. The PUMA kits are great, they are made with the highest quality
standards that athletes look for nowadays.
Who in your opinion are your favourites for this tournament?
