Chile’s national soccer team showed its superiority against the Dominican Republic by defeating them 5-0 in Via del Mar. Standout player Ben Brereton scored a hat trick, breaking a seven-game scoring drought with La Roja.
Chile’s dominance was evident from the start of the match. In the 10th minute, Brereton opened the scoring with a shot deflected by an opposing defender. Then, in the 16th minute, he scored with a header, followed by an impressive scissor kick goal in the 24th minute, completing his hat-trick at the Sausalito stadium. Bruno Barticciotto, son of historic Colo Colo striker Marcelo Barticciotto, also had an outstanding debut, scoring a brace (in the 44th and 58th minutes).
Chile, knowing they were higher in the FIFA ranking, pressed from the first minute and gave the Dominican team no chance. Brereton shone, especially in the first half, constantly threatening the rival defense and having opportunities to score more goals.
In the second half, with the score already in their favor and without Brereton’s goalscoring presence, Chile delighted their fans with luxuries and multiple scoring opportunities, reminding them of their recent golden era.
Chile’s insistence was rewarded in the 58th minute with a goal by Barticciotto after a collective play. Despite the Dominican Republic’s attempts to score a consolation goal in the final minutes, they were met with a solid performance by goalkeeper Gabriel Arias.
This is Chile’s third win since Eduardo Berizzo took over as coach in May 2022. In this period, La Roja has lost four matches and drawn three. They have now accumulated three consecutive victories after beating Paraguay in March and defeating Cuba last Sunday.
The Chilean national team will face Bolivia in another friendly on June 20, before making its World Cup qualifier debut against Uruguay in September.