From doubles to World Cup elimination, what happened in the past 10 years of the Copa America championship?

As the Uruguayan player celebrating his victory, 37-year-old Chilean captain Sanchez walked towards the player's passage alone. This "South American Red Devils" who had made Messi hate three times now lost 0-2 in the World Cup final game, and with a record of 2 wins, 4 draws and 11 losses in 17 games, becoming the only team in the South American region to be eliminated at the bottom. In the stands, the yellowed 2015 Cup of America champion shirt was slightly wrinkled in the hands of fans, as if telling the golden age of football in this country.

Golden Age: The True Story Behind Two Trophys

At the National Stadium of Santiago on July 4, 2015, when the referee blew the final whistle, a deafening roar broke out in the Chilean locker room. Captain Vidal pulled the jersey open, revealing the words "It's our turn this time" on the lining. In that team, 34-year-old Salas is not old, 26-year-old Vidal is in his year of playing, and 22-year-old Sanchez is already a regular visitor to the Champions League. Fans jokingly call this the perfect lineup for "three generations of old, middle-aged and young people living together".

The next year, they met in the Centennial Copa America final, and Argentina led by Messi was forced into a penalty shootout by Chile. There was a classic shot in that game: Chilean goalkeeper Bravo saved Messi's penalty and his trousers were worn out while sliding on the ground. It is precisely this kind of fighting spirit that made Chile win the Copa America twice in a row from 2015 to 2016, and FIFA's ranking once soared to fourth place in the world, setting a record high in team history.

Fall curve: Three sets of data reveal the truth about the collapse

Age structure: From the "golden ratio" to the "crisis of aging "

The average age of the champion team ten years ago was 28.3 years old, and players under 30 accounted for 45%. In the final game of the 2025 World Cup qualifiers, the average age of the team soared to 32.7 years old, with as many as 10 players over 30 years old (accounting for 62.5%). The youngest Dario Osorio is only 21 years old, but he has only played in the Danish League this season and his condition is doubtful.

Tactical Dilemma: The "trump card" that was cracked by the opponent was "1}

The "crazy run + pressing" tactics ten years ago once made strong teams like Brazil and Argentina in a mess. In the 2014 World Cup against Spain, Chile's overall running distance was 12 kilometers more than its opponent; in the 2016 Centennial Copa America final, they used 113 steals to limit Messi's performance. But by 2025, this tactic has become "the emperor's new clothes" - in the game against Bolivia, Chile's full-game running distance (98.3 kilometers) was 5.2 kilometers less than its opponent, and was teased by netizens as "playing football while sitting".

Youth Training Breakdown: From "Talent Fertility" to "Football Desert"

The latest data from the Chilean Football Association shows that there are less than 100,000 registered players aged 15-18 in China. What is this concept? Brazil next door has 5 million registered players under the age of 15, and Argentina has 3 million. What is even more worrying is that 7 people on the 2025 U20 national team training list came from the Chilean domestic league, and the rest were all playing football in the European sub-league.

Deep deconstruction: Three fatal injuries break through the "Red Devils" defense line

Youth training system: A "chronic suicide"

After the 2010 World Cup, the Chilean Football Association invested 80% of its budget in the professional league, and the youth training funding was compressed to a historical low. A retired international player was heartbroken: "We spent money on the painkiller that takes effect in the short term, but he cured the target and injured his foundation." The most typical example is that after losing the qualifiers in the 2018 World Cup, they who should have rebuilt their youth training chose to change their coaches - they have changed six head coaches in the past five years, with a minimum term of only 7 months.

Tactical rigidity: Turn "super tricks" into "dead"

In the 2025 World Cup qualifiers against Colombia, Chile completed 28 steals in the whole game, but only formed 3 threatening attacks. Head coach Gareca admitted after the game: "The players are used to pressing at high positions, but the opponent has already figured out the routine - when you are tired of running, they will sit on the ground and wait for you to make a mistake. "This tactical dependence is fully exposed in front of Brazilian coach Allegri's "Anti-Anti-Resistance Teaching Class": Behind the 0-2 score is Chile's 11 offsides and 8 backcourt mistakes.

Management chaos: "Chronic diseases"

The farce of the 2024 Chile Football Association presidential election has made Chilean football worse. The two candidates accused each other of "embezzling youth training funds", resulting in the national team training base owing water and electricity bills for up to 4 months. What's even more absurd is that in the critical stage of the 2025 World Cup qualifiers, the Football Association actually misappropriated the budget for the U20 national team to buy massage chairs for the adult team.. Fans angrily scolded on social media: "They care about football, but their own pockets!"

The road to the future: Chilean football's "three strategies to break the deadlock "

Strategy 1: Rebuilding youth training "hematopoiesis system "

Community football plan: Follow the Japanese "campus football + professional echelon " model, build 50 community football fields in the Santiago slums

Talent delivery channels: Cooperation with European clubs such as Brighton and Leverkusen, and transport 20 U17 players overseas every year

Coach training project: Select 100 local coaches to study in Spain, and require all certificates to be taken to work within 3 years

Strategy 2: Tactical system "De-aging "

Hotel "Tactical doctor ": Invite former Barcelona assistant Teach Wensue, and use 3 months to transform the transmission and control system

Enable "Catfish Effect": Mandatory 3 U23 players must be enabled for each game

Data training: Introduce the Catapult sports tracking system to analyze player running, passing and other data in real time

Strategic guarantee: Pass the Football Development Act to ensure that the youth training fund is not less than 40% of the total budget of the Football Association

Decentralized management: Establish a "Supervision Committee" composed of retired players, fan representatives, and corporate executives co-construction: Go online "Chile Football Revival Plan "APP to allow fans to participate in team decision-making (such as jersey design, friendly match opponent selection)

In Santiago "La Casa del Fútbol "In the fan bar, 65-year-old Carlos rubbed the yellowed 2015 Cup of America tickets: "In the past, I always thought that the next generation of players would surpass us, but now looking at these kids (referring to the Chilean U20 players on mobile screensaver), I dare not even say anything. "

But hope always sprouts in desperate situations. After the 2025 World Cup qualifiers, a 19-year-old midfielder Nauel Reyes wrote on social media: "They say we are the 'beat generation', but remember - Baldivia at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Sanchez at the 2015 Copa America, was also a ridiculed 'inexperienced newcomer '. "

Perhaps, this is the charm of football. When the glory of the old era fades, there are always people who are willing to rebuild their homes on the ruins. The story of Chilean football is far from over.

The rise and fall of the football world is like a tide, with countless joys and sorrows hidden between the rise and fall. The fall of Chilean football is a pity, but the young people running on the court are writing a new chapter. As the poet Neruda said: "When night comes, there will always be someone to ignite the first torch." This may be the most precious revelation that football gives us.

I hope the Chilean team will return to the South American powerhouse we are familiar with as soon as possible!

Every corner of the green world is hidden in stories - the power game in the locker room of the wealthy, the Jedi counterattack of grassroots teams, and the secret world of retired players. I am Brother Hua. From the perspective of 15-year-old fans, I can see through the bloodiness and warmth inside and outside the green field.