Brazil vs Chile. FIFA World Cup South American Qualifying Tournament.
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Wednesday 11 October 2017 08:23, UK
Alexis Sanchez will not be at the 2018 World Cup after Chile missed out on qualification after a 3-0 defeat to Brazil on Tuesday.
Chile - winners of the Copa America in 2015 and 2016 - were soundly beaten by Brazil in Sao Paulo to be eliminated on goal difference.
They finished level on points with Peru, who secured a two-leg play-off against New Zealand.
"I take full responsibility," said head coach Juan Antonio Pizzi, whose contract was due to expire after the qualifiers. "We gave everything but it was not enough. I will not continue."
Five-time World Cup champions Brazil had already booked their tickets after winning 11 of their 17 matches and two goals from Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus followed an opener from Barcelona's Paulinho to break Chilean hearts.
Neither side were able to break through in the opening 45 minutes as Brazil's pressure came to nothing and Chile missed the support of Arturo Vidal, who was suspended for the game.
It took a mistake from Claudio Bravo to let Brazil open their tally, a Neymar free-kick was struck over the wall but Bravo managed to get a hand to it.
But the ball spilled straight into the path of Paulinho who slotted it into the corner from six yards past the Manchester City 'keeper on 55 minutes.
Brazil doubled their lead two minutes later as Sanchez lost the ball on the edge of Brazil's penalty area, Neymar took a stunning cross-field pass under control and set it up on a plate for Gabriel Jesus to finish.
Chile - who started the day in third - were staring down the barrel of a play-off match against New Zealand, but a late equaliser from Peru pushed them down into sixth and out of the qualifying positions.
La Roja pushed but were running out of ideas and their fate was sealed when Jesus got his second in the dying minutes of the game.
Claudio Bravo went up for a corner but was left stranded as the ball was fired up to Jesus, who was able to tap in from close range to secure the 3-0 win.
The result, coupled with Peru's 1-1 draw with Colombia, meant Chile wound up sixth in the table on goal difference, with Sanchez, Vidal and Eduardo Vargas missing out on their chance to shine next summer.
