FRANCE98 – Chile Team Page

Land area:	756 945 km²
Population:	12 00 000
Capital:	Santiago
Main cities:	Valparaiso, Concepcion, Antofacasta
System of government:	Republic
Head of state:	M. Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
Currency:	Peso
Time difference:	4 hours ahead of Paris

02/06/96	Venezuela – Chile	1-1
06/07/96	Chile – Ecuador	4-1
01/09/96	Colombia – Chile	4-1
09/10/96	Paraguay – Chile	2-1
12/11/96	Chile – Uruguay	1-0
15/12/96	Argentina – Chile	1-1
12/01/97	Peru – Chile	2-1
12/02/97	Bolivia – Chile	1-1
29/04/97	Chile – Venezuela	6-0
08/06/97	Ecuador – Chile	1-1
05/07/97	Chile – Colombia	4-1
20/07/97	Chile – Paraguay	2-1
20/08/97	Uruguay – Chile	1-0
10/09/97	Chile – Argentina	1-2
12/10/97	Chile – Peru	4-0
16/11/97	Chile – Bolivia	3-0

• 25 points
• 32 goals scored
• 18 goals conceded

Goalkeeper :	TAPIA (31 ans, 25 caps)
Defenders :	C. CASTANEDA (29 ans, 18 caps) REYES (25ans, 16 caps) MARGAS (28 ans, 43 caps) PONCE (27 ans, 9 caps)
Midfielders :	MUSRRI (28 ans, 22 caps) ACUNA (22 ans, 19 caps) VEGA (26 ans, 21 caps) V.H. CASTANEDA (35 ans, 11 caps)
Strikers :	SALAS (22 ans, 32 caps) ZAMORANO (30 ans, 38 caps)

Number of players used during the qualifying rounds: 45

National team colours: red, blue and white

FIFA ranking (on 1 November 1997): 27th

• World Cup: 6 participations (1930, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1974 and 1982)

  1962 : 3rd

• Copa America : Finalist in1955, 1956, 1979 and 1987 

Nelson ACOSTA
In his playing days, Nelson Acosta, who was born in Uruguay, pulled on the jerseys of Penarol, Everton, O Higgins and Fernandez Vial de Concepcion before starting his coaching caree with the latter. His Union Espanola side reached the semi final of the Copa Libertadores in 1994, and he was appointed Chilean national team coach at the outset of FRANCE 98 qualifying rounds. He favours a counter-attacking game relying heavily on his two very gifted strikers, Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas.