Thailand v Chile

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Thailand v Chile

Late Missed Penalty Costs Chile Dearly

by Jeremy Ruane

Needing to win by three goals to advance to the knockout phase, Chile bowed out of the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in dramatic fashion at Roazhon Park in Rennes on June 20, edging Thailand 2-0 in front of 13,567 fans who saw the South Americans miss a late penalty which, if converted, would have sent them through to the last sixteen.

"Las Chicas de Rojo" enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, and came close to opening the scoring in the eleventh minute when Yessenia Lopez's cross from a corner was punched out by Waraporn Boonsing to Maria Urrutia, who saw her shot headed onto the post by Natthakarn Chinwong.

The rebound fell to Francisca Lara, who thrashed her drive over the bar. Seconds later, Chile had claims for a penalty turned down, Chinwong deemed not to have deliberately handled the ball when tussling with Daniela Zamora in the area.

The Chileans continued to threaten, Karen Ayara thrashing a twenty yarder past the post before both the midfielder and Urrutia fired shots either side of the uprights, and Boonsing comfortably gathered an Ayara free-kick just shy of the half-hour mark.

Just after it, Thailand gave the South Americans a huge scare, with Christiane Endler forced to save from Silawan Intamee. Chile's goalkeeper was forced to tip Kanjana Sung-Ngoen's attempted chip over the bar five minutes before half-time, having looked on with relief moments earlier as Intamee, after taking on three opponents, saw her shot deflect off Camila Saez and pass Endler's left-hand upright.

Chile responded to this strongly before the interval. Zamora, who had directed a header past the post from Rocio Soto's cross ten minutes earlier, saw Boonsing grab her shot at the second attempt in the 43rd minute, before Urrutia's strong run culminated in Rosario Balmaceda battering a twenty-five yarder against the bar right on the stroke of half-time.

The 0-0 score at the interval was not good news for Chile, who threw on the tournament's youngest and smallest player, 4 foot 10 inch tall eighteen-year-old Javiera Grez, for the second half.

Within seconds of coming on, she nearly proved herself the ultimate impact substitute, shooting wide from six yards after Boonsing had pawed out Lara's searching cross straight to the feet of the newcomer.

Two minutes later, Chile opened the scoring in bizarre fashion. Lopez spread play wide to Zamora, who evaded two challenges before picking out midfield general Yanara Aedo. She unleashed a twenty yard rocket which screamed past Boonsing, struck the far post and rebounded back to the 'keeper at such speed that it ricocheted off her into the net!

An own goal, but Chile didn't care how they came about - they just needed two more goals to become

the only team debuting at France 2019 to advance to the knockout round.

Chile's defence was a tad porous, however, and in the 54th minute they copped an earful from Endler after the 'keeper had to bale them out again, cutting out a Sung-Ngoen cross intended for Intamee.

It wasn't until half-way through the second spell that "Las Chicas de Rojo" roused themselves for a solid effort to go for their target. Instantly, Lara saw a curling effort tipped over the bar by Boonsing, then had a goal disallowed because of a foul in the build-up.

Grez then headed wide from a Lara cross as Chile built up a head of steam which culminated in a goal ten minutes from time by Urrutia, whose glancing header from a Lopez cross left Boonsing beaten all ends up - 2-0.

Chile duly through everything at Thailand in the last ten minutes, with Grez heading narrowly past the post after Urrutia had headed a Lopez free-kick across to her diminutive team-mate, who hobbled off injured shortly afterwards.

But not before the game's most dramatic incident took place. Lara fired in a cross which Urrutia headed past Boonsing, who took out the striker with a raised boot while Chinwong cleared off the line.

New Zealand referee Anna-Marie Keighley was invited to check the evidence by the Video Assistant Referee team, and wasted no time in pointing to the penalty spot before booking Boonsing, who was fortunate to avoid a red card such was the nature of her challenge.

There were four minutes remaining when Lara placed the ball on the spot and paced out her run-up. She duly lashed the ball goalwards, only to see her spot-kick cannon off the crossbar and back into play with Boonsing rooted to her line - a golden chance to clinch their three-goal target spurned.

Chile didn't give up, with Endler going forward for corners in the minutes remaining. But just one genuine chance materialised, a cross-shot from Lopez which was grabbed by Boonsing.

When the final whistle sounded, there were floods of tears, particularly from the Chileans, who had come so close to fulfilling their Women's World Cup dream, but will join their Thai opponents in heading for home earlier than they'd hoped.

Chile: Endler; Soto, Guerrero, Saez, Lara; Zamora, Aedo, Araya (Grez, 46 (Rojas, 87)), Lopez, Balmaceda; Urrutia

Thailand: Boonsing (booked, 85); Phetwiset (Saenkhun, 90), Chinwong, Sornsai (booked, 59), Srangthaisong; Thongsombut (Waenngoen, 58), Khueanpet, Phancha, Nild, Intamee (Chuchuen, 73); Sung-Ngoen

Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)

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