Chile names completely new squad for China friendly
(Agencies)
Updated: 2003-08-12 09:29

Chile coach Juvenal Olmos has named a squad made up entirely of home-based players for next week's friendly in China after convincing his bosses that it would have been unviable to take players based abroad.

Olmos had complained that due to FIFA regulations which only oblige clubs to release players 48 hours before friendly internationals, Chile's European-based players would have arrived in China only hours before kick-off.

The matter came to a head last week with speculation that Olmos could resign over the matter, leaving Chile coach-less with the start of the South American qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup only one month away.

But the Chilean football federation (ANFP) said Monday on its website that Olmos had reached a peace deal after a meeting at the weekend, the two sides agreeing that a home-based squad should be sent.

"Our (European-based) players would have played at the weekend, begun the journey on Monday and arrived on Wednesday (the same day as the game)," Olmos was quoted as saying. "Fortunately the directors understood that it's always better to compete on equal terms."

The ANFP said the new squad began training Monday and would arrive in China next Sunday, three days before the game.

Chile is receiving a $100,000 fee for the game -- one tenth of what five- times world champions Brazil were paid for travelling to China for a friendly earlier this year.

Goalkeepers - Nelson Tapia (Cobreloa), Alex Varas (Wanderers)

Defenders - Cristian Alvarez (Universidad Catlica), Jose Contreras (Wanderers), Luis Fuentes (Cobreloa), David Henriquez (Colo Colo), Rodrigo Perez (Cobreloa), Boris Gonzalez (Cobreloa)

Midfielders - Mark Gonzalez (Universidad Catolica), Miguel Riffo (Colo Colo), Marcos Gonzalez (Universidad de Chile), Arturo Sanhueza (Wanderers), Gonzalo Fierro (Colo Colo), Rodrigo Millar (Huachipato), Jose Luis Jerez (Union Espanola)

Forwards - Daniel Perez (Universidad Catolica), Jose Luis Villanueva (Palestino), Manuel Neira (Colo Colo), Arturo Norambuena (Universidad Catolica)