Brazil eliminated Chile on penalties 4-2

CNN.com

CNN) -- And so the carnival carries on.

Brazil, the team which manages to thrill and frustrate almost simultaneously, clinched its place in the quarterfinal of the World Cup following a tension-fueled encounter with Chile.

A 3-2 victory on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Belo Horizonte means Luiz Felipe Scolari's side's quest to win the World Cup on home soil remains alive.

It will now turn its attention to a last eight contest with Colombia -- a team which has thrilled so far in this tournament.

While Brazil will take the plaudits, Chile should be commended for a performance which at times defied the ability of the human body to run and hustle as its players did.

Having already scored an own-goal to gift Brazil a 19th minute lead, Gonzalo Jara was to be the fall guy at the death.

With Brazil leading the shootout 3-2, Jara needed to score to keep his country in the tournament.

As he stood, eyes firmly on the goal, two nations held their breath -- but only one broke out into ecstasy as the ball smashed against the post and rolled away to safety.

As those in red flopped to the ground, their bodies bruised and beaten, tears running down their faces, their opponents danced their way around the field, perhaps more out of relief than happiness.

Brazil, still haunted by its failure 64 years ago when it was beaten by Uruguay in the 1950 final, cannot afford anything but triumph.

Chile eliminated Spain 2-0

FOX NEWS 

RIO DE JANEIRO –  Defending champion Spain, the dominant global football power for the past six years, was eliminated from World Cup contention Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to Chile.

Spain's famed passing game failed against a high-tempo, tenacious Chile team, its era ending in the storied Maracana Stadium filled mostly with Chilean supporters.

Eduardo Vargas tricked goalkeeper Iker Casillas into diving the wrong way, then shot into an unguarded goal in the 20th minute. Charles Aranguiz scored in the 43rd when the ball landed at his feet after Casillas punched out a free kick.

Spain's second loss, after a 5-1 rout by the Netherlands, ended any hope of advancing. Chile and the Netherlands will both advance, regardless of who wins the game between them.

Spain won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, in addition to the 2010 World Cup.

Spain came to Brazil with a very similar -- but older -- team than the one that won those titles. They added Brazilian-born striker Diego Costa, but he failed to score a goal.

Their "tiki-taka" style of play -- keeping the ball for long stretches with short passes, and only shooting when you had a clear opening -- had not been working as well in recent years. Brazil defeated Spain 3-0 in last summer's Confederations Cup, a warm-up for the World Cup.

Spain became the third straight European defending World Cup champion to flop in the group stage. France in 2002 and Italy four years ago also failed to advance, or even win a match.

Badly needing a win, del Bosque stayed loyal to captain Casillas despite the veteran goalkeeper's errors against the Dutch.

Two pillars of Spain's title runs, Barcelona pair Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Pique with a combined 194 appearances, were left out.

Xabi Alonso probably should have joined them. His agonizing first half typified Spain's problems and his errors led to both goals.

And Alonso's selection left a younger version of his former self, Atletico Madrid's Koke, on the bench until the logical change was made at half time.

Alonso gave away the ball to Alexis Sanchez to start a move down Chile's right wing by Arturo Vidal and Aranguiz, leading to Vargas' score. Alonso trailed behind the play and put his hands to his head.

Alonso was booked in the 40th before conceding another foul, on Sanchez, three minutes later 22 yards (meters) out.

When Casillas punched away Sanchez's curling free-kick, Aranguiz trapped the ball then flicked a rising shot spinning away from the goalkeeper's reach.

Alonso had Spain's best early chance, a 15th-minute shot smothered by Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Often wayward in its passing, Spain missed two clear chances early in the second half.

Costa was slow on Andres Iniesta's threaded pass in the 49th, and Sergio Busquets was guilty of a glaring miss, volleying wide from five meters in the 53rd.

After Bravo pushed away shots by substitute Santi Cazorla and Iniesta, Chile's win was sealed.

Chile slip past Australia 2-1

Barcelona winger Alexis Sanchez reacts after scoring the opening goal against Australia

SB Nation 

Chile gained a 3-1 victory over Australia, with the underdogs almost making a sensational comeback after falling two goals down early.

Australia had gotten off to a poor start, as goals from Alexis Sanchez and Jorge Valdivia saw them trail 2-0 after 14 minutes, but Tim Cahill scored at his third World Cup to get his side back into the game. They went close several times in the second half, before Jean Beausejour eventually made things secure for Chile in injury time.

Chile sent out a bizarre lineup, but it looked as though they were going to steamroll Australia in the opening spell. They took just 12 minutes to take the lead, and Australia did themselves no favours, with defence and goalkeeper all at sea to allow Sanchez to score with a simple finish. Just 70 seconds later Chile made it two: Sanchez turned provider to find Jorge Valdivia on the edge of the area, and the playmaker curled a brilliant effort home that gave Mat Ryan no chance.

The South Americans were looking like crushing their opponents and it seemed only a matter of how many goals they would get. Yet as much as Chile were dominant, the decision to field two diminutive full-backs as a centre-back pairing against a team whose strategy mostly revolves around crossing to a striker who is strong in the air came back to haunt them. Cahill easily climbed above Gary Medel to meet Ivan Franjic's cross and fired in a brilliant header to give Australia a way back into the game.

In the second half, Chile would have been expected to resume their onslaught, but it was Australia who turned on the style. Howard once again had the ball in the net, but was rightly called offside, as the underdogs continued to threaten. Chances became fewer and fewer between in the game, but Chile were incredibly forced back ever deeper as Australia grew into the game, forcing them into their own area for long spells.

Cahill simply wasn't being dealt with by Chile, and he perhaps ought to have had a second, but landed another header onto the roof of the net, as Australia's opponents became noticeably nervous and jittery, with Matthew Leckie also missing a decent aerial chance.

In the end, however, Chile were able to hang on for the three points, and wrapped up their victory in injury time when Beausejour took advantage of a desperate Australia to break and unleash a long-range shot, which got past Ryan and into the net.

Although Australia will be third in the group, they're ahead of the current world champions, Spain. Chile will need to reassess themselves after having their weaknesses so widely exploited in the second half, and will just be glad to get out of the game alive. Australia, meanwhile, have much to be proud about their performance, but if they were going to get out of the group, this was their opportunity.

Chile: Bravo, Isla, Medel, Jara, Mena, Diaz, Vidal (Gutierrez 60'), Aranguiz, Valdivia (Beausejour 68'), Sanchez, Vargas (Pinilla 84').

Vidal stars Chile squad