Chile vs Paraguay: International Soccer Friendly 2015 Schedule, Stream, Predictions & Preview
With no La Liga or English Premier League games scheduled this weekend, international play is here for soccer fans. Chile and Paraguay will play each other in a South American international friendly this weekend. Although this game is not an actual tournament, fans love nothing more than to watch their country play.
Let's break down the game and predict who will win.
Chile (8)
What a summer it was for Chile. They hosted the biggest soccer tournament in all of South America, the Copa America, and came out victorious for the first time ever. They defeated Lionel Messi and Argentina in the finals 0-0 via penalty kicks. Despite the biggest win in the country's history, Chile is ranked No. 8 in the FIFA rankings, and still No. 4 in CONMEBOL behind Argentina, Colombia and Brazil.
It is a controversial ranking.
Head coach Jorge Sampaoli has already announced that Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will not be playing against Paraguay. Bravo is heavily regarded as one of the best goalies in the world, but he will have the week off. In addition, Arturo Vidal and Eduardo Vargas will also not be playing.
Goalkeepers Johnny Herrera and Cristopher Toselli are expected to share playing time in goal.
Without Vidal and Vargas, Alexis Sánchez will be the most skilled forward on the field for Chile. Jorge Valdivia, Chile's best passer, and Jean Beausejour will lead a strong middle field on Saturday. Chile has an excellent defense led by Gary Medel and Gonzalo Jara, who will have to play well, considering Bravo is not between the pipes.
Chile has not lost to Paraguay in the last six matches. Their next match will be aganist Brazil in October.
Paraguay (55)
This is a great test for Paraguay. Chile is one of the best teams in the world, and playing a fellow top ranked South American squad will show just where Paraguay stands. Head coach Ramón Díaz knows this is a great opportunity, and he wants to see his team perform at a high level.
Paraguay stunned Brazil in the Copa America quarterfinals, but eventually lost to Argentina, 6-1.
Paraguay, which currently ranks No. 55 in the world, will also be starting a backup goalkeeper. Antony Silva will be starting in place of Justo Villar. Miguel Samudio will lead the defensive unit. Team captain Roque Santa Cruz, who is the all-time leader in Paraguay National Team history, will also be sitting this one out. Cristian Riveros won't be playing as well, leaving Paraguay's middle field pretty weak.
Paraguay's next game will be against Venezuela in October.
Schedule, Where to Watch
Chile and Paraguay will play each other on Saturday, Sep. 5 at 5 p.m. EDT. The game will be played at the Estadio Nacional de Chile in Santiago, Chile. Brazil and Costa Rica will be playing each other at the same time. You can watch a live game stream here.
Prediction
Chile isn't at full strength, but neither is Paraguay. Having home field advantage and a far superior offense will ultimately make the difference in this one. Chile knows they should be ranked higher, and they want to make a statement in front of FIFA.
Chile wins 2-0
Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1