RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 9 -- Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said Monday his team can defy history by beating Brazil to secure a berth in next year's World Cup.
Chile, who have never won a World Cup qualifier in Brazil, must win Tuesday's match at Sao Paulo's Allianz Parque to be guaranteed of a place at the quadrennial tournament in Russia.
"We have high hopes that we can achieve a result that will take us to the World Cup," Pizzi told a press conference. "Brazil are beatable if we play to our strengths."
Despite winning the past two Copa America titles, Chile have struggled for most of the CONMEBOL qualifying tournament.
While victory should secure third place for the Roja, any other result could see them being usurped by Colombia, Peru, Argentina or Paraguay.
"What we have achieved in the last few years has been unforgettable," Pizzi said. "But we don't want to stop now. Our aim is to continue to create history."
The top four teams in the CONMEBOL group will earn a direct World Cup spot while the fifth-ranked team will advance to a playoff against New Zealand.