Chile have secured their place in the last 16 of this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup™, but they made hard work of it. The host nation made it through the group stage despite losing their final match against Egypt, who came from behind to clinch a last-minute winner. With the two sides finishing level on points and goal difference, Chile qualified in second place based on fewer yellow cards accumulated.
“It was a bittersweet feeling because we lost the match but we also qualified for the last 16, which was our goal”, said Agustin Arce, Chile’s No10 and playmaker, to FIFA.
Chile’s reward for making it out of Group A is a trip to Valparaiso where they will face Mexico in the last 16, in what will be the first time that the Chileans have played outside of Santiago at this tournament. Arce will have a tough task on his hands as he and his team-mates come up against a Mexico side that are very strong in midfield, where games tend to be won and lost.
At just 19 years of age, the young No10 has proven himself to be a maestro in the Chile midfield. He displays an impressive level of composure for his age, combined with a vision that allows him to see passes that others simply cannot.
“I just let my game flow on the pitch,” said Arce. “I do what the team needs from me, and I think that I’ve helped a lot by doing that.”
There is no doubting Arce’s ability, but he is not a player who tries to dazzle players with his dribbling or shoot at every opportunity. His talent lies in the way he gets the ball to unexpected areas, be it with short, line-breaking passes or with long balls that can turn the game on its head in an instant. He is the type of player who does not need to run as much as others; he is one step ahead of them.
His ability to read the game will be put to the test against a Mexico side that boast a dynamic midfield, with players who press high and exchange quick passes. Chile’s chances of overcoming Mexico will largely come down to Arce’s ability to dictate the tempo of the game and to open up spaces out of nothing.
Arce has already demonstrated that he carries a wise head on his young shoulders. The midfielder made a decision that not many players his age would make with the same conviction: he opted to leave Universidad de Chile for a spell on loan at Deportivo Limache, and so far this season he has 211 minutes under his belt across five games in the Chilean Primera Division.
That would not have been an easy decision for him to make. Arce began playing football at just four years of age at a football academy run by Universidad de Chile and he also spent time in the Santiago Morning youth setup. He was eventually signed by La U in 2013, and went on to make his professional debut for the club in 2022.
“That’s exactly why I decided to leave the club, to get some more minutes on the pitch and be in some kind of rhythm in case I was called up for the World Cup”, he explained. It has turned out to be a very wise and fruitful decision, as Arce came into the World Cup in great form and with his confidence high.
His loan spell not only gave him more game time, but it also put him in situations where he had to take on more responsibility, helping him prepare for the U-20 World Cup, where Chile look to him to change games. “Getting minutes is really important,” he said. “Even the players who aren’t playing so much at their clubs are physically very well prepared for this.”
Chile will be calling on their fans once again when they take on Gilberto Mora’s Mexico, and Arce will have the opportunity to show that he can perform under pressure, whether it comes from on or off the pitch.
