Having been drawn in the same group as 2010's World Cup finalists, champions Spain and runners-up The Netherlands, it would be easy to understand if Chile were already looking ahead to 2018
But this summer's Group of Death holds no fear. CLICK HERE for defender Marcos Gonzalez telling us why he and his squad-mates could be a great generation
Having been drawn in the same group as 2010's World Cup finalists, champions Spain and runners-up The Netherlands, it would be easy to understand if Chile's attitude towards this summer's tournament was, 'never mind, lads, there's always next time'.
However, this generation of the South American country's most-talented footballers are not running scared of 2014's Group of Death.
In fact, coach Jorge Sampaoli, a previous a Copa Sudamericana winner with Universidad de Chile, has stepped out from the shadow of illustrious long-term predecessor and fellow Argentine, Marcelo Bielsa, and has been earning widespread praise for a successful qualification campaign which took 28 points from 16 games.
Only Argentina and Colombia finished higher in the South American section as Chile demonstrated they are a technically and tactically gifted team, as England discovered at Wembley last November while even Spain had to twice come from behind to earn a draw last September.
Giant defender Marcos Gonzalez has been one of the first names on Sampaoli's team sheet during Chile's rise back to a force and, here, in association with Chile's national kit sponsors - PUMA, he explains why he and his squad-mates are looking forward to facing Spain, The Netherlands and Australia in Group B.
How is your group perceived from a Chilean perspective? Is it intimidating having to take on both of the 2010 World Cup finalists?
"The truth is that the group will be challenging for all four teams. I do not think any team wants to be disqualified from the World Cup without giving their best from the beginning. It is not intimidating to have both World Cup finalists in the group, because we have practiced as hard as any other team. The reality is that everything can change in the end, nothing is written in stone."
Do you think Spain four years on from their 2010 World Cup win are playing to the same form and are the clear favourites, or is their squad as it exists now a more likely team to be able to beat?
"Spain is the current World Cup champion, but I do not know if this time they will win again. I am sure they will try their hardest and they will definitely show off their skills."
Chile surprised people with an impressive performance at Wembley, winning 2-0 against England in November 2013. Can we expect more stellar performances such as this from Chile in Brazil?
"The match against England was our opportunity to measure ourselves against a strong European rival. Before that, we had only had the chance to play against other South American teams. We have been practicing hard, and getting a slot in the World Cup has shown that we are more than ready to play against any team."
Since your new coach, Jorge Sampaoli, took over, Chile have experienced a turn of fortune and recorded their best run of results in a World Cup qualifying campaign. What has changed since Sampaoli joined, does he have different style of coaching that works better for the squad?
"Sampaoli's arrival to the team was because of his great work over the years. He has had great performances on a national and international level with the University of Chile under his wing. This has translated to us and I think that is the reason the team is so strong now."
Alexis Sanchez has come into his own this season at Barcelona, playing in great form and stepping up his performance. How important is Sanchez to Chile?
"I respect Alexis for what he has achieved and his great performance is no news, he has been doing quite well for a long time. What most people have not noticed is that he has shown strong performances in every team he has belonged to and that is the reason he made it to his current team. He is a great player and performs that way in every match."
The Brazilian climate is going to be a challenge for some European teams. Will Chile have an advantage being accustomed to a South American climate?
"I do not know if we are going to have an advantage, because every player usually plays in different countries so most of us are used to different climates."
Who in your opinion are your favourites for this tournament, who do you expect perform well?
"Well, my favourite of course is Chile, we are here to win."
Marcos Gonzalez wears the new Chile World Cup kit by PUMA, available from Kitbag.com. For more information on PUMA's national kit sponsorships and evoPOWER and evoSPEED boot ranges head to www.puma.com/football
