Chile was rocked over the weekend by an 8.8 earthquake, which killed over 300 people and tore down buildings across the country.
Therefore, it's no surprise that Chile has called off its two friendlies this week against Costa Rica and North Korea. Chile was actually going to host a double-header, allowing national team coach Marcelo Bielsa to see as many of his players as possible in a game situation.
Chilean soccer federation president Harold Mayne-Nicholls said on the organisation's official website that it would be difficult to justify letting the game to go ahead after the disaster.
"Football cannot remain indifferent to the catastrophe which has hit our country and certainly not to the pain and tragedy of thousands of Chileans," Mayne-Nicholls said.
The players said in a statement: "At this moment, it is more important to look after the country's urgent necessities. There will be time for football."
With Chile making its first World Cup appearance since 1998, I can already see the thousands of stories that will be written about them being the sentimental favorite. They're in Group H with Spain, Switzerland and Honduras.I have no problem with rooting for them, I probably would have anyway since they'll be an underdog, I'm just pointing out the obvious storyline that you'll hear ad nauseum in the buildup to the tournament.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/748477/ce/uk/?cc=5901&ver=us
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