Brazil vs. Chile: Score and Reaction from 2018 World Cup Qualifier

Brazil and Chile kicked off their South American qualifying campaigns for the 2018 World Cup on Thursday evening in Santiago, and Chile emerged with a 2-0 victory thanks to Eduardo Vargas' go-ahead goal in the 72nd minute.

Vargas' clutch tally came off a set piece, courtesy of substitute Mati Fernandez, as beIN Sports USA showed on Twitter:

Alexis Sanchez sealed Brazil's fate by giving Chile a 2-0 lead in the 90th minute, as beIN Sports relayed: 

La Roja chipped away throughout the second half with solid chances, and that persistence paid off as manager Jorge Sampaoli's squad kept positive momentum going with a defeat of the 2014 World Cup semifinalists. 

Brazil was operating at less than full strength Thursday. Barcelona star Neymar is suspended for his country's first World Cup qualifiers, stemming from his actions at June's Copa America, and Liverpool centerpiece Philippe Coutinho was absent because of an injury. Kaka, of MLS' Orlando City SC, replaced Coutinho on the qualifying roster but didn't make an appearance Thursday night. 

Chile was the aggressor early on, as Sanchez and Vargas provided offensive pressure that kept the 2015 Copa America champions in control throughout the first 30 minutes. A blast from Alexis off the woodwork shortly before halftime represented Chile's best scoring chance in the first stanza, as beIN Sports relayed: 

However, Brazil was able to mount intermittent counterattacks that kept the Selecao on Chile's heels. A stupendous strike from Hulk, who was saddled with more offensive responsibilities sans Neymar and Coutinho, represented his side's closest look in the first half, per beIN Sports:

Brazil looked skittish early on, but it eventually settled in and gained enough composure to combat Chile's repeated attacks and control possession.

As Brazil boss Dunga noted before the match, his team needed to do away with a passive demeanor and assert itself on defense, per Goal.com:

"

Modern football has showed us that if you only defend, you aren't going to win. With the quality of the forwards, shots from long distance, we have to attack like a boxer. If you just defend it's only a matter of time before the opposition lands a punch. Football is like that. We have to maintain a balance between defence and attack.

"

Injury scares were the story of the first half, though. First, Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal hit the turf after nearly doing a split, per beIN Sports, but he appeared to shake things off in relatively short order: 

Minutes later, Brazilian defender David Luiz had to be replaced by Marquinhos after the Paris Saint-Germain star suffered an apparent knee injury. 

Given the injuries and absences Brazil was dealing with, it wasn't the most surprising result for Dunga's boys. With that said, it was still a disappointing contest for Brazil, particularly since it was looking to build a head of steam with qualifying underway. Now the Selecao can't afford further slip-ups as they seek to capture a spot in the 2018 World Cup. 

Brazil will be back in action Oct. 13 against Venezuela, while Chile will have a week off before doing battle with Peru. La Roja's recent run of success has been among the biggest developments in world football, and it should be putting all prospective 2018 World Cup qualifiers on notice.