Chile faces Brazil, and the perils of optimism

Chile was not going to lose, not this time. On Monday, June 28th, 2010,  Chile were drawn against Brazil for the Round of 16 of the World Cup in South Africa.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa seemed more of a genius after every game. But fans being interviewed on TV kept repeating that “hope is the last thing you lose”; a sign that things were not going well. Where I come from, that means that if only thing you have left is hope, you don't really have much.

Still, we tend to be a hopeful people. After February's big earthquake, Chileans rallied around each other, which made us feel more united as a country and, thus, stronger.

But, if we did not want to think with our hearts, the analysis would have been crystal clear: the Brazilians had hammered us six times in a row, and they had made us carry the weight of history. They had eliminated us in three World Cups and not even when the legendary 1990s combination of Iván Zamorano and Marcelo Salas came close to make us play decently.  

We couldn't neglect Robinho’s hellish dashes, Luis Fabiano's powerful crosses, or Kaká's magical assists. And we couldn't count on the bite of our own "Pitbull," Gary Medel, nor Matías "Matigol" Fernández's class.  They were suspended. "Chupete" Suazo and "El Mago" Valdivia were injured.

At the stadium, the vuvuzelas were buzzing. The Brazilians sang their anthem with composure and poise. They were better, fitter and taller than us. Many of our players sang "Puro, Chile" with fear and nervousness in their faces. At the end of the lineup, Sánchez and Vidal’s nerves made them seem motherless; like Romulus and Remus.

FIFA took away our right to finish our anthem; to shout until our throats bled in the anthem's chorus ("Or the tomb will be of the free, or the asylum against opression!"). For some this was a premonition: our national climax was cut short. “La Roja” would play in white against the green and yellow of the "Verde-Amarela," so it was too big of an advantage for them.

A header by Juan at the 34rd minute and an offensive combination three minutes later gave the game its status as "mere procedure." Chile never got close. Did we think we could shake a hand with Brazil’s five stars?

My friends chatted with red wine. Some ate barbecue. Same old antics. It was a quiet afternoon, a regular weekend.

*As told to Africasacountry. Álvaro Cárdenas Castro, born in Santiago de Chile in 1976, is a art historian, editor and writer. He works at Radio Universidad de Chile and the publisher DKDNT.