Spain had a nightmare outing, and then some, against the Netherlands in their opening encounter of the FIFA World Cup 2014. The defending world and European champions will now look to bounce back from that almighty defeat when they take on Chile, a far from easy opponent, in their second Group B match at the Maracana on Wednesday.
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The Group B game is scheduled for a 4 pm local time (12.30 am IST, 8 pm BST, 3 pm ET) start with live coverage on Sony Six and Sony Six HD in India. The match can also be watched via live streaming online in India HERE. Catch the action in the UK on ITV and BBC with the live streaming option HERE or HERE. Viewers in Brazil can watch the match HERE, while Spain viewers can do so HERE. Viewers in Chile and South America can catch the action HERE, while US viewers can watch the game on ESPN while the option to live stream is HERE. Australia viewers can go HERE to watch the game live online, while South Africa viewers can watch the match HERE.
Recovering from a hiding like the one they suffered against Holland is never easy, but if there ever was a team capable of doing just that, it is Spain. They haven't won the last three major international tournaments by fluke; this is a side filled with winners, and winners always find a way to bounce back from adversity.
The 5-1 humiliation handed out by the Netherlands will still be in their minds and Spain will probably use the pain from that defeat and convert it into a positive vibe against Chile.
"We are deeply wounded," Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. "We have a chance to continue [in the competition] and we want to take the responsibility and push on. The desire to rebel against a tough result should be an inspiration."
Del Bosque is likely to make a few changes to his side after the mauling, and the coach also alluded to the fact that Spain might change their tactics a little and be more direct.
"We have to bring ourselves up to their [Chile's] level and not be intimidated, play with the same intensity and mix that with our own identity," he added. "We will do things that are not typical for us but that could cause them damage.
"We are capable of turning things around. We will keep doing several things the same way – but we are flexible."
Flexibility will probably be through changing the central striker for a "false 9" with Cesc Fabregas looking like the most likely candidate for that role. The likes of Santi Cazorla, Pedro Rodriguez and Koke might also get a chance as Del Bosque looks to shuffle things around to bring a fresher feel to the team, after Spain looked rather stale against Holland.
Chile, on the other hand, will not want to change too much, even if they might easily have come away with just a draw, or even a defeat, against Australia rather than a 3-1 victory. After an early two-goal blitz, Chile sat back and allowed Australia to come at them, putting intense pressure on themselves.
However, their ability to storm forward at blistering pace remains undoubted, and Spain, after feeling the wrath of one great counter-attacking team, will be wary of another speedy side tearing them to bits – Del Bosque might seriously want to consider losing that high line against Chile.
"The Spanish players will of course get over what happened with the Netherlands, with all their maturity and experience," Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli said. "It's not as if they are no longer one of the best teams in the world."
It is a must-win game for Spain, and they will want to show the rest of the world they are not done dominating world football yet; a win, preferably a convincing win will go a long way in doing just that.
Team news: Spain: Iker Casillas, despite making a couple of horrible errors, is likely to stay in goal, while Gerard Pique might make way for Javi Martinez at the back. There could be a few changes further upfield as well, and it remains to be seen what formation and strategy Del Bosque goes with.
Chile: Arturo Vidal, despite playing 60 minutes of the 3-1 win over Australia, remains a doubtful starter, with Sampaoli saying he was hopeful the midfielder would be able to play a "few minutes" against the world champions.
Expected lineups: Spain: Casillas; Azpilicueta, Ramos, Martinez, Alba; Busquets, Alonso; Cazorla, Xavi, Iniesta; Fabregas.
Chile: Bravo; Isla, Medel, Jara, Mena; Diaz; Aranguiz, Valdivia, Vidal; Sanchez, Vargas.
