Chile coach proud of his feisty men

Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli hailed his team as the 'rebels' of the World Cup after they booked their place in the last 16, dumping holders Spain out of the tournament with a 2-0 win at the Maracana stadium.

“I feel very proud of course and especially proud of the players. I don't know if it is the best victory ever, for me the best victory is always the next one. But I don't think I will ever forget this win,” he told a news conference.

“We were very courageous in the way that we played and you could say that we are the rebels of this tournament,” he added.

First half goals from Eduardo Vargas and Charles Aranguiz gave Chile a famous victory over the defending world and European champions to delight their huge travelling support.

Chile controlled their lead impressively having looked sharper and more committed than Spain throughout the first half.

“I think this team is a very mature team and they are probably more mature than ever,” said Sampaoli.

“We were already very good in qualifying but we were even better today.Today we played with a system and an idea. The players believe in one idea and defend it.

“We will see if it is the best Chile team ever, that is something we can only say after the tournament is over,” he added.

Chile's final game of Group B is against the Netherlands, who have also already qualified, but the top spot in the group remains up for grabs.

Finishing second could well mean facing Brazil in the next round and Chile's Argentine coach said that meant there was no question of easing off against the Dutch.