Full coverage: World Cup 2014 | Match in Pics
It will be a strange memory for Chilean defender Gonzalo Vara. He regained in composure and after his first own goal gave Brazil a first-half lead. Then, just as he thought a tough day in office was finally over - holding off Brazil's half-baked onslaught -- he forgot he had left the gates open. His effort, the day's final penalty in the tie-breaker afte r both teams had ended regulation period one-all - with Julio Cesar on his knees - hit the upright and cruelly bounced away.
Up until then, Brazil were staring at an unfamiliar situation. In extra time, with Alexis Sanchez their lone man upfront, it was clear that Chile were pushing the game to the lottery of the tie-break, where things are once again equal, and not always fair. Brazil, actuely aware of that too, were pushing and pushing for a goal, their alarm becoming more apparent with each passing minute. It seemed beyond them. Then out of nowhere, mere minutes from that approaching inevitability a Mauricio Pinilla effort from top of the box, rocketed out and rocked Julio Cesar's goal. The Brazil goalkeeper was beaten, but his crossbar saved him from having to bear a strange cross for the rest of his life. Fate had denied Chile hand out Brazil another Maracanazo - the ghost of the 1950 World Cup defeat to Uruguay - and handed Brazil another chance.
Cesar, the easy to cry, at 34 years, the oldest man on the field, grabbed the chance with his oversized gloves as he palmed away Pinilla and Alexis Sanchez's efforts in the shootout to give Brazil a huge psychological boost. It did not help, however, that Willian hit wide and Hulk had his shot saved by Claudio Bravo when their turns came, putting things, like had been all game with Chile, on an even keel.
Then Jara stepped up and offered to be the day's fall guy.
The stadium - all 57,714 of them - erupted in that long-drawn "Oooohhh!! - that release of breath where both relief and fear reside alongisde. It was so different from the deafening noise that had defined the day. The "Braaa-seal, Braaa-seal, Braaa-seal!!" so buzzing, so ringing in the ears, that you couldn't hear yourself think. Just imagine what it was doing to the poor Chileans - already short, but now, dwarfed by the rising wall of noise.
A hoarse Belo Horizonte lifted their beloved Selecao like nothing else in the opening Round of 16 encounter here. All of the city had been awash in the canary yellow for the past two days. Incidentally, this tie with Chile was also the 60th anniversary of the famous yellow shirt. In March 1954, Brazil had played the same opponents for the first time in yellow, after retiring the earlier white strip after losing 1950 World Cup final. It changed the fortunes of their future teams forever
On Saturday, they also played as if born-again. Neymar was flying again, Fernandinho and Luiz Gustavo pulling the strings in the middle -- feverishly tugging at them actually - Oscar his own silent, sublime self. Even Hulk seemed composed and at home, one is not sure though, whether Fred got a touch of the ball all of the opening session at all. Actually, Fred had had the most chances of the first half - three - but they were all off target. Just past the hour, he had made way for local boy, Jo, of Atletico Mineiro. You were not sure if the Belo locals were cheering wildly for Jo's coming on, or the ineffectual Fred making his exit.
As hostilities kicked off, Brazil didn't allow Chile to settle at all, coming in them with a tempo that was not only unmanageable, it was mentally exhausting. The rare occasion when the Chile found themselves in the Brazil half, they also found the Brazilians swarming the area, almost as if they two men to each Chilean on the field.
The opening goal too came in the same fashion for the bewildered Chileans. Just past a quarter of an hour of being relentlessly run at, Chile goalkeeper Bravo deflected a dangerous Hulk freekick out of play. The resulting corner by Neymar found his captain, Thiago Silva's head who flicked it across the Chilean goalmouth. Waiting at the far post was David Luiz, but marker Jara lashed out at it first and it ricocheted into his own goal. Luiz claimed it as his own, it even looked that way, but it was the fifth own goal of the tournament - strangely highlig hting the peculiar poor standard on show in Belo Horizonte.
The odds were stacked against the Chileans - not having win once in 12 games against Brazil, three meetings, three straight losses in the knock outs at the World Cup - all huge scorelines. When Jara swung it into his own net, it began looking ominous for Chile. But Alexis Sanchez had other ideas. Having a great World Cup, the other Barcelona player after Neymar and Messi, Sanchez simply led his team soak up the initial pressure. Incidentally, going into the game, he was the player fouled most at this World Cup - 17 times - an aspect that he knew would hold him in good stead as the initial euphoria and burst would wear off.
Indeed, it came. And aided, in no small measure by a confused Brazil defence when put to sword. Just past half-hour in the firsrt session, and the Brazilian surge hardly ebbed, Eduardo Vargas pounced on a silly throw-in error between Marcelo and Hulk. The Chilean forward who could riva l Fred in the lacklusture play sweepstakes all day, at least made good of this offering, quickly slipping it to Sanchis who glided in, past Silva and placed it past Julio Cesar to set up things on even keel.
Stung, Brazil hit back. Twice Neymar had a great chance at goal - one a header off a corner and the second, Oscar finding him with an excellent ball from the deep. But by now, the forceful form on the Chilean defence had a settled feel to it.
It was going to a different second half. As Chile began controlling proceedings, Scolari was throwing in his defensive players, while the Chileans, showin their intent, their attacking substitutes. It told the tale of the transformation of a game from a burst to sputter. Julio Cesar was forced to make a super save off an Charles Atanguiz effort just past the hour that would have surely sealed the game. In between, Hulk had an attractive goal disallowed after the referee Howard Webb - the only Englishman left in the World Cup - ruled that he controlled Oscar's ball with his upperarm and shoulder.
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