Between October and November 2015, Chile will play host to the latest edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. And while it is not a tournament that has been kind to them in the past – they have qualified just twice in 15 attempts – their surprising run to the semi-finals at Japan 1993 was a landmark achievement for Chilean football.
That third-place finish also left an indelible mark on the young squad, including their captain Sebastian Rozental. With his strength and technique, the talismanic front-man made a name for himself in Japan, going on to become perhaps the best known member of the group and the first to play in Europe.
Now 38 and a television journalist, Rozental still has very fond memories of the tournament, as he told FIFA.com in our recent interview: “It was one of the most beautiful moments of my career. Chile had never reached an U-17 World Cup before, and suddenly we were in the semi-finals and had the eyes of the country upon us. That tournament made a very strong impression on us,” said the former striker, whose career was greatly curtailed by a knee injury.
Skill the hallmark Despite securing their Japan berth with a runners-up spot in the South American Championship, where a Brazil side containing Ronaldo failed to qualify, La Roja arrived in the Far East without much fanfare. Once there they drew 2-2 with China PR, beat Tunisia 2-0 and recorded a pulsating 3-3 draw with section winners Poland.
Second place in the group earned Chile a quarter-final meeting with Czech Republic, who they swept aside 4-1 amid great excitement back home. “Communications were a lot different then and phone calls were expensive. However, when we called home that day we realised the magnitude of our achievement,” Rozental recalled.
Ghana’s physical strength would prove too great an obstacle in the semis (3-0), but La Roja were not finished yet. After a rematch with Poland ended 1-1 thanks to a strike from Rozental, who finished as his side’s second-highest scorer with four goals, Chile held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out to claim the final place on the podium.
Leandro Veliz’s charges also made an impression on FIFA’s Technical Study Group, who noted in their tournament report: “Chile's performance was at such an unexpected level that it contributed greatly to the high technical standard of the competition and enriched this World Cup.”
“We played really well,” agreed Rozental. “We stayed compact and never lost our shape, as we had technically gifted players: Dante Poli was a quality centre-back; Nelson Garrido was a left-back who often played as a link-up man in midfield; Hector Tapia was a No9 but operated in central midfield; then there was Manuel Neira, Patricio Galaz, Frank Lobos and Alejandro Osorio, all of whom were good on the ball... It was our skill level that got us onto the podium, because physically we weren’t the strongest,” he added.
Managing expectations Although he had made his professional debut for Chilean giants Universidad Catolica a year before the Japan adventure, Rozental is in no doubt that the World Cup helped forge his character. “As well as everything we experienced in that distinct and far off land, there was everything that happened to us on our return. Some 5,000 fans met us at the airport and it seemed like every TV programme wanted us on. At 16 we were celebrities, and we hadn’t even finished high school!”
Moreover, the Chilean media were hungry for a success story, with the senior team having been banned from the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup USA 1994™ in the wake of the Roberto Rojas scandal. (Editor's note: Chilean keeper Rojas was deemed to have deliberately cut himself to get a 1990 World Cup qualifier against Brazil abandoned, with his side on the verge of elimination.) Unsurprisingly, the returning heroes from Japan were immediately dubbed a ‘golden generation’. “How did they expect us to become the saviours of Chilean football? At that age no one is ready for that kind of responsibility. For all that, we did handle it quite well,” said Rozental.
So well, in fact, that two years later the nucleus of that U-17 side helped the U-20 team qualify for their first World Cup in the category at Qatar 1995. (Editor's note: Chile had competed in the 1987 edition, but qualified automatically as hosts.) Rozental would once again don the captain’s armband.
“The fact that it was the continuation of a process did help me, as did the demands I put on myself," he explained. "That same year, I made my debut with the full national team, while the season after that I was named Player of the Year in Chile and began receiving offers from European clubs.”
Life lessons In 1997 he became the first Chilean to play in Scotland following an almost seven million dollar move to Glasgow Rangers – at the time the biggest transfer in Universidad Catolica’s history. “There were also offers from Manchester United, Sunderland and PSV Eindhoven, but my club accepted the bid from Rangers.
"I liked the challenge of helping a traditional club compete for major honours. I was sure I’d get plenty of goalscoring opportunities, which are the lifeblood of a striker,” reasoned the Santiago native, who participated in Chile’s successful qualifying campaign for France 1998.
Fate was about to deal him a cruel hand, however. After scoring on his Rangers debut against St. Johnstone, the player then tore ligaments in his left knee. “I had a dream career until I was 20, but because of that injury I hardly played in the following three years,” he recalled, omitting to mention the five trophies he picked up in Scotland. “I returned to UC, then had a loan spell with Argentinian side Independiente and then a longer stint with Swiss outfit Grasshopper, but it was never the same.”
After that, Rozental tried to extend his career in the USA, Puerto Rico and Israel before finally hanging up his boots at just 31. Knowing how quickly fortunes can change in football, the ex-goalgetter had some sage advice for the crop of young Chileans who will fly their county’s flag at the U-17 World Cup on home soil next year.
“A footballer’s career is short and so, while you must prepare well, I’d say go out there and enjoy the football, both for the game that it is and for what it means to represent your team and country," he concluded. "At that age there’s no way of knowing if you’ll make it as professionals, but the memories of a World Cup will stay with you forever.”