SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Penpix of Chile's 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa: 1-Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad). Goalkeeper. Born April 13 1983. Caps 43. Undisputed first-choice keeper who played in all 18 World Cup qualifiers. Moved to Spain in 2006 and has stuck with Real Sociedad despite their drop into the second division. Missed the end of the Spanish season with a knee injury but has recovered in time for Chile's opening match. 12-Miguel Pinto (Universidad de Chile). Goalkeeper. Born July 4 1983. Caps 14. Likely second-choice keeper who has played for "La U" for eight years. Suffered a knee injury in early 2010 but returned to action in April. 23-Luis Marin (Union Espanola). Goalkeeper. Born May 18 1983. Caps 3. Picked as Chile's third-choice keeper due to his consistency at club level. Kept clean sheets in recent friendlies against Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago. 5-Pablo Contreras (PAOK Salonika). Defender. Born Sept. 11 1978. Caps 51. Goals 1. The most capped man in a young and relatively inexperienced squad. A survivor of the 2002 and 2006 qualifying campaigns, Contreras played for Monaco in France, Celta in Spain and Sporting in Portugal before moving to Greece. 2-Ismael Fuentes (Universidad Catolica). Defender. Born Aug. 4 1981. Caps 29. Goals 1. A regular first-team player under previous coach Nelson Acosta, starting every match in the 2007 Copa America, he has recovered from falling slightly out of favour, having appeared in just six of Chile's 18 qualifiers. 4-Mauricio Isla (Udinese). Defender/Midfielder. Born June 12 1988. Caps 12. Bielsa has used him in defence but this utility player is equally comfortable in midfield. Made his debut for Chile in Bielsa's first match in charge in 2007 but played in only five of the qualifiers and might watch much of the World Cup from the bench. Has enjoyed three solid seasons in Italy. 18-Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich Albion). Defender. Born Aug. 29 1985. Caps 34. Goals 3. Caught the eye of West Brom scouts at an under-23 tournament in France in 2008 and signed for the club a year later, helping them to promotion this season. A neat, technically efficient, versatile player, he should get a regular run-out at the finals. 17-Gary Medel (Boca Juniors). Defender/Midfielder. Born Aug. 3 1987. Caps 24. Goals 3. Know as "Pitbull" for his ferocious handling of opponents, he has recovered from a nightmare start to 2009. First he was in a serious car crash and then a teenage girl fell to her death from the balcony of his apartment in what appears to have been an accident. One of the few Chileans to cut the mustard in Argentine football, he scored both goals for Boca in their 2-0 defeat of arch-rivals River Plate in March. Likes to push forward down the right and can play in midfield and defence. 3-Waldo Ponce (Universidad Catolica). Defender. Born Dec. 4 1982. Caps 25. Goals 2. Tall, agile, mop-haired central defender, strong in the air and a dead-ball expert. Spent a year in Germany with Wolfsburg and then played for Velez Sarsfield in Argentina before moving back to Chile in February to prepare for the World Cup. 21-Rodrigo Tello (Besiktas). Defender/Midfielder. Born Oct. 14 1979. Caps 34. Goals: 3. A left footer with a powerful shot, Tello spent six years in Portugal with Sporting before moving to Turkey. A regular during the 2002 and 2006 qualifying campaigns, he played in just one of 2010 qualifiers 8-Arturo Vidal (Bayer Leverkusen). Defender/Midfielder. Born May 22 1987. Caps 23. Goals 1. Versatile, pint-sized right wing-back who has enjoyed three impressive seasons in Germany. Should make the first team in South Africa; the only question is whether it will be in defence or midfield. 19-Gonzalo Fierro (Flamengo). Midfielder. Born March 21 1983. Caps 18. Goals 1. Right-sided midfielder who made his debut for Chile in 2006. Built his reputation at Colo Colo before moving to Brazil. Might not make the first team, having played in just four of Chile's 18 qualifiers. 6-Carlos Carmona (Reggina). Midfielder. Born Feb. 21 1987. Caps 20. Dependable holding midfielder, a tireless ball-winner with a good tactical sense. Has been based in Italy since 2008 and played a major role in the World Cup qualifiers. Expect to see him on the pitch in South Africa rather than the bench. 13-Marco Estrada (Universidad de Chile). Midfielder. Born May 28 1983. Caps 22. Goals 1. Defensive left-sided midfielder who played for Chilean club Everton for a decade before joining "La U". Made his debut in Bielsa's first match in charge in 2007 and has been in and out of the Chilean first team since then. 20-Rodrigo Millar (Colo Colo). Midfielder. Born Nov. 3 1981. Caps 21. Goals 1. First played for Chile at the under-20 World Cup in Argentina in 2001. Spent most of his career at Huachipato before stepping up to Colo Colo in 2007. Appeared in six qualifiers. 14-Matias Fernandez (Sporting). Midfielder. Born May 15 1986. Caps 37. Goals 7. A creative attacking force, of the same ilk as Real Madrid's Cristian Ronaldo. Was hailed as the best player in the Americas in 2006 when he was on brilliant form for Colo Colo, but has been disappointing since moving to Europe, first at Spain's Villarreal and now in Portugal. Frustrating at times, but if he can rediscover the promise he showed four years ago he has the potential to light up the finals. 10-Jorge Valdivia (Al Ain). Midfielder. Born Oct. 19 1983. Caps 39. Goals 4. Known as "El Mago", the Magician, Valdivia is Chile's top playmaker, at his best when just behind the strikers. An outspoken extrovert, he served a long ban from the Chilean side after being found guilty of indiscipline during the 2007 Copa America. After two successful seasons in Brazil with Palmeiras he moved to the Middle East and has also played for clubs in Spain and Switzerland, two of Chile's Group H rivals. 11-Mark Gonzalez (CSKA Moscow). Forward. Born July 10 1984. Caps 39. Goals 3. A trip to South Africa would take him back to the country of his birth. Gonzalez grew up in Durban where his Chilean father played professional football. An attacking, left-sided midfielder, he never quite made the grade at Liverpool but has enjoyed more success at Real Betis in Spain and in Russia. 22-Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo). Forward. Born Aug. 1 1980. Caps 14. Goals 6. A journeyman forward who has played for four different Chilean clubs as well as in Mexico and Cyprus. A survivor of the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign, he has been on the friges of Bielsa's plans despite a respectable scoring record. 15-Juan Beausejour (America). Forward. Born June 1 1984. Caps 27. Goals 1. Strong, left-footed forward who likes to drift out to the wings. More of a creator than a poacher, he has developed a good understanding with Chile's top striker Suazo. Born to a Haitian father and a Chilean mother, Beausejour has played in Switzerland, Belgium and Brazil, and is now based in Mexico. 16-Fabian Orellana (Xerez). Forward. Born Jan. 27 1986. Caps 16. Goals 2. Scored two of the most important goals of the qualifying campaign -- the first in a 1-0 defeat of Argentina and the second against Colombia, the goal that sealed Chile's passage to South Africa. Might not make the starting line-up, but could serve as a handy replacement for Humberto Suazo. 7-Alexis Sanchez (Udinese). Forward. Born Dec. 19 1988. Caps 29. Goals 11. A livewire, unpredictable, right-footed striker, Sanchez has hit a rich seam of form in recent weeks, scoring in four consecutive Serie A matches in April and May to help save Udinese from relegation. AS Roma and Liverpool are among the clubs rumoured to be interesting in signing him after the finals. 9-Humberto Suazo (Monterrey). Forward. Born May 10 1981. Caps 42. Goals 18. On loan this season at Real Zaragoza, who are keen to sign him on a permanent basis, he was top scorer in the South American qualifiers with 10 goals and the only Chilean outfield player to appear in all 18 matches. However, normally the first name on Bielsa's team sheet, he will miss Chile's opening game against Honduras after tearing a leg muscle in a recent warm-up match, having only just recovered from a shoulder injury, and there are worries "Chupete" (lollipop) Suazo might miss more than one of their group matches diminishing their chances of going through. (Compiled by Claudio Cerda/Gideon Long; Editing by Rex Gowar; To query or comment on this story email [email protected])
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