Spain 0 Chile 2: Tiki-taka takes a taxi as holders crash out
End of an era for Spain's golden generation as Eduardo Vargas and Charles Aranguiz score to put them out
Defending champions Spain slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Chile and crashed out of the World Cup on Wednesday after their second defeat in five days.
Chile’s victory - through goals from Eduardo Vargas and Charles Aranguiz - made the South Americans and the Netherlands the first teams to go through to the second round.
After a golden era that saw them win the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010, Spain have suffered a dramatic fall from grace. They equalled Italy’s unwanted record in 1950 of being booted out of the World Cup after just two games.
Spain’s confidence seemed to have evaporated after their 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands in their first group B game on Friday.
Coach Vicente del Bosque dropped established stars Gerard Pique and Xavi Hernandez but it had no impact in the charged atmosphere of Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium.