Your daily World Cup tip sheet for who's playing when, and what to watch for. We'll deliver a new briefing the evening before every game day, highlighting the can't-miss match and which players to watch.
Match of the day: Netherlands vs. Chile
The winner of this match between undefeated sides likely
gets to avoid Brazil in the first game of the knockout
round, so there is plenty to play for. Expect a lot of
offence: The Netherlands has eight goals in two matches,
while Chile has found the net five times. Robin van Persie
and Arjen Robben have been unstoppable for the Oranje so
far in Brazil, with three goals each, but don’t expect
Chile to back down. La Roja manager Jorge Sampaoli has his
players believing they can hang with any team on the
planet. Expect a lot of goals.
Player to watch: Chile’s Arturo Vidal
Vidal picked up a yellow card and an undisclosed injury in his country’s 2-0 win over Spain, so his participation is in question. The Italian press call the Juventus midfielder Il Guerriero – The Warrior – for his relentless style of play. A tireless tackling machine, Vidal is also creative in the attacking half. You’ll hear an awful lot about striker Alexis Sanchez at this World Cup, with good reason, but Vidal is the engine that powers Chile’s attack.
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