U.S. to face better goalkeeping against Chile
June 13, 2019
After routing Thailand in their first Group F game, the U.S. team will face Chile for their second of three games. This is Chile’s first ever FIFA World Cup appearance.
Chile will be the second overmatched opponent the U.S. has faced in group play this World Cup run.
Against Thailand, the U.S. won 13-0 which set the record for the most goals scored in a World Cup game.
Sweden beat Chile 2-0 in both teams first game of Group F. The Swedes weren’t able to score against the Chileans until the 83rd minute in a game which featured pouring rain and had be delayed at one point due to lightning.
During the game, Sweden had seven shots on goal to Chile’s one.
The U.S. had 21 shots against Thai goalkeeper Chor Charoenying.
In the U.S. game against Chile, the American team will face a much better goalkeeper than Charoenying in Chile’s Christiane Endler, who is also the team’s captain.
The six-foot-tall Endler also is the starting goalkeeper for Paris-Saint Germain.
Endler has been Chile’s goalkeeper since she was 15 and in her age 27 season she has helped guide Chile to their first World Cup after only allowing six goals at the 2018 Copa America Femenina in six matches.
To qualify for the World Cup, Chile finished second in their group at Copa America Femenina after drawing with Paraguay and Columbia 1-1 and beating Uruguay 1-0 and Peru 5-0.
In the opening game of the final stage of Copa America Feminina, Chile lost 3-1 to Brazil and then beat Argentina 4-0. With the win over Argentina, Chile finished runner-up and clinched a trip to France for the 2019 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the improved goalkeeping fielded by Chile, the American attack will still be too effective for the Chileans to stop.
Against No. 14 Sweden, the No. 39 Chileans controlled the ball for 35% of the game, but against the No. 1 ranked U.S., No. 34 Thailand controlled the ball for only 28% of the match.
With the offensive pressure and ball control the U.S. brings, Chile will have trouble keeping the ball out of the back of the net, but don’t expect Endler to allow the U.S. to set another goal scoring record.
The U.S. and Chile kickoff at 11 a.m. Sunday airing on FOX.