January 20, 2023
Today saw the start of the new season in Chile. These diaries had previously featured matches from Chile in the 2020 and 2021 seasons so it was overdue to take a look at the Primera Division again !
Record title holders Colo-Colo were the champions in 2022, achieving their 33rd triumph, which was all the more remarkable seeing they only escaped relegation in 2020 by winning a play-off 1-0 against Universidad de Concepcion. Of sides previously featured in these diaries, Curido Unido finished 3rd, Palestino 4th, Audax Italiano 7th and Antofagasta were 16th and bottom so relegated. The league in Chile is fairly unusual in South and Central America in that the 16 sides play each other home and away to determine the places rather than have Apertura and Clausura competitions.
Club Deportes Magallanes won the 2022 Primera B title by 4 points to earn promotion back to the Primera Division. They also won the Chilean Cup to qualify for this year’s Copa Libertadores and earlier in the week they also won the Chile Super Cup, beating Colo Colo in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
One of the famous names in Chilean football, they were founded in 1897 and won the first ever national title and went on to win the title 4 times in the 1930s. However, times have been hard since.
Home is the 3,500 official capacity Estadio Municipal de San Bernardo, with San Bernardo being part of the greater Santiago conurbation.
The most notable name in the Magallanes line up was 36 year old ex-Blackburn Rovers midfielder Carlos Villaneuva ( 13 caps ) who starred in these diaries whilst playing for Palestino versus Curido Unido in 2021. Others names worthy of note in the starting XI included Uruguayan ex Defensor Sporting keeper Gaston Rodriguez, 39 year old centre-back Christian Vilches ( 2 caps and ex Colo-Colo and Palestino ) and 36 year old striker Fabian Flores ( 2 caps and ex-Salamander ). Midfielder Tom Jones is a one-club man, so clearly enjoys the green, green grass of home !
O’Higgins finished 8th in 2022 and are located in Rancagua, 90 kilometers north of Santiago, and is where England played all of their group matches in the 1962 World Cup. The club were founded in 1955 and named as a tribute to Bernardo O’Higgins, one of the founding fathers of the Chilean nation, and one of the longest priced ever winners on the Jimmy Tarbuck’s “Winner Takes All” quiz !
O’Higgins won their only title in 2013, and faced a 90km journey to today’s fixture. Their nickname is La Celeste, or the Sky Blues, after their home colours.
The starting XI for O’Higgins included keeper Ignacio Gonzalez, who featured in these diaries for Antofagasta in 2021, Argentinian ex-Lanus centre-back Nicolas Thaller and Argentine midfielder Valentin Larralde ( ex-Defensia y Justicia ).
The match was live streamed on Bet365, who made Magallanes 8/5 favourites, with O’Higgins at 17/10 and the draw at 23/10. The temperature at the 18.00 local time kick-off was around 27 degrees, and the weather was bright with sunny periods. The home side were in a blue and white striped shirt with white shorts, whilst O’Higgins were in a change kit of all black. The uncovered stand opposite the main stand looked virtually full with very few spare spaces.
There was a slight delay to the kick-off as ground staff had to fix a hole in one of the goal nets at one end, but once play commenced, Magallanes dominated the early possession with some smooth passing football, although without really threatening the visitor’s goal. In the opening minute a shot from the edge of the area blocked, and O’Higgins keeper Gonzalez punched away.
Against the run of play O’Higgins created two half chances as Moreira’s 25 yard shot was easily saved and Arancibia’s cross from the left was missed by the diving keeper and an attacker, but cleared by the Magallanes left-back.
Magallanes’ early pressure saw them win consecutive corners, which came to nothing, and the first yellow card of the game was shown in the 15th minute when O’Higgins Arancibia committed a bad foul against Aranguiz close to the half-way line.
The first good chance of the game fell to Magallanes in the 17th minute when a free-kick was headed into the mixer, and Gonzalez made a brave save at close range from Jones. The linesman raised his flag for offside, and the free-kick was awarded, but the TV replays indicated that the ball had come off the head of a defender, and so Jones was onside, but it was all irrelevant as the chance was missed.
The visitors then enjoyed a good spell as Marin headed over from a good position, Moreira shot straight at the keeper from the edge of the area and Fernandez shot over the bar from 15 yards after a smart pass from Hormazabal.
Magallanes response was to float a long cross field ball over right-back Hormazabal for the lively Vicuna to run onto but his ball into the area was poor and cleared at the expense of a corner. The home side’s best chance arrived in the 27th minute, as a good cross from Vicuna found Tom Jones free beyond the far post but his volley into the ground bounced up favourably for keeper Gonzalez to punch away to safety.
Both sides cancelled each other out for the rest of the half, apart from a free-kick routine for Magallanes, where Villaneuva delivered a great cross but Flores headed wide from 8 yards. In added on time Arranguiz ran onto a cross field pass from Vicuna, but lashed his 25 yard effort just over the bar.
With the third minute of added on time being played, O’Higgins’ defender Diaz was rolling on the floor after a collision, but rather than make a decision, the referee decided to blow for half-time. At the interval, the statistics showed that Magallanes had enjoyed 60% of the possession, and they probably would have been aggrieved not to have been in the lead.
The home side made a change at the break, taking off Villaneuva, who had been anonymous apart from the one ball, and brought on Colombian winger Yorman Zapata. The change enabled Magallanes to start the second half well, as Vicuna blazed over from the edge of the area, then from a low cross from Jones, keeper Gonzales made a block from Flores as the striker slid in but Vicuna, running in, headed the rebound over.
With 60 minutes played, Deportes keeper Rodriguez had to be brave to gather ahead of Moreira following a long ball over the top, and took a blow for his efforts.
Magallanes still looked the side most likely to open the scoring and Canales headed a corner over from 6 yards. However, O’Higgins should have taken the lead in the 68th minute. Moreira was played into space inside the right side of the penalty area and passed to Fernandez on the edge of the area. Although the shot was pushed away by Rodriguez, the ball fell to Hernandez who steered the ball wide of the gaping goal from 12 yards.
Magallanes didn’t learn the lesson, and 10 minutes later substitute Castro was clear down on the right, and his chip to the far post saw Matias Belmar ghost in to finish left footed and give O’Higgins the lead.
The home side pressed for an equalizer, and despite 8 minutes of added time being played, Magallanes rarely threatened and O’Higgins held on comfortably to take the three points.
Magallanes can take heart from a promising display in their first game back in the Primera Division but would be disappointed not to have taken anything from the game. O’Higgins will be delighted by their “smash and grab” raid !
Deportes Magallanes : Rodriguez – Filla ( Crovetto ), Vasquez, Vilches, Espinoza – Aranguiz, Canales ( Quiroz ), Villaneuva ( Zapata ) – Jones, Flores ( Cadenazzi ), Vicuna ( Alfaro )
O’Higgins FC : Gonzalez – Hormazabal, Thaller, Fuentes ( Torrealba ), Diaz – Fernandez ( Meneses ), Larralde, Hernandez, Marin ( Castro ) - Arancibia ( Belmar ), Moreira ( Paez )
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