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Chile victory eliminates Spain from World Cup contention
By John Leicester
0619WCupChile4
Chile's Arturo Vidal, right, and Chile's Gary Medel celebrate after their victory in the Group B World Cup soccer match between Spain and Chile at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, June 18, 2014. Defending champion Spain was eliminated from the World Cup with the loss. - photo by Natacha Pisarenko | Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — With its superstars aging and its loyal coach slow to blend in young talent, Spain's glorious reign as the superpower of world football was bound to end. The Spanish weren't favored to repeat as World Cup champions. But few expected the utter collapse that ended Wednesday with a 2-0 loss Chile, knocking Spain from contention and ending the run of the greatest team of the century.
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