One week into the World Cup in Brazil and already Spain are out of the tournament and become the first reigning champions to be knocked out after just two matches. The South Americans humbled their European opponents with goals from Eduardo Vargas and Charles Aranguiz securing a 2-0 win. It is not the first time the reigning world champions have failed to make the knock-out rounds - Italy suffered that indignity in 2010 and so did France in 2002 - but never before has it happened after the first two games. The 5-1 hiding handed out by Holland in the opening match was still reverberating for Spain, and the pattern of that nightmare second half of last Friday night continued.
Spain knew they had to win and Claudio Bravo in the Chile goal stood in Xabi Alonso's way when the Real Madrid midfielder pounced on Andres Iniesta's deflected pass with only the keeper to beat. He looked certain to score but Bravo stopped it with one hand at close range, and Alonso's next involvement was to lose the ball in the move which saw Chile go ahead. Alexis Sanchez snapped up possession and played in Charles Aranguiz who picked out Vargas with a brilliant centre. The Valencia forward kept his head while Spain were losing theirs and neatly sidestepped Iker Casillas before sliding it home.
Alonso attempted to make amends but blasted high and wide from Diego Costa's lay-off, before the striker scuffed a shot into the turf and side-netting as Spain's frustrations increased. Two minutes before half-time and Spain's looming crisis became a fully-fledged disaster. Casillas, heavily criticised after the Holland debacle and fortunate to keep his place, did himself no favours with a double-handed fist at Sanchez's gentle free-kick and the ball dropped to Aranguiz who controlled it and then toe-poked back past the sorry keeper to make it 2-0.
