MONTEVIDEO: Chile face a daunting trip to Ecuador on Thursday as they attempt to get their faltering 2018 World Cup qualification campaign back on track at a venue where they have never won.
After eight rounds of South America’s marathon qualifying campaign, two-time Copa America champions Chile are languishing in seventh place, two points adrift of Ecuador in fifth.
The failure of Chile’s star-studded squad to impose themselves on their rivals has been one of the biggest surprises of the qualifiers to date.
With back-to-back Copa America victories in 2015 and 2016, the Chileans have been the dominant force in competitive South American football in the past year.
However despite being able to call upon the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Bravo, Chile have stumbled from one setback to the next so far.
Last month they were beaten 2-1 by Paraguay in Asuncion and were then held to a 0-0 draw by minnows Bolivia at home in Santiago.