Tomas Isla

Left Forward - Universidad de Chile U18
21 Oct 2028
Saturday
Process

Marked for Tomas Isla

29 Edition

The Universidad de Chile Gazette

15 Feb 2027
From our football correspondent Upbeat

Match

Universidad de Chile leave it late against Antofagasta

Ninety minutes of very little, and then everything at once. The winner arrived in the 87th, and Antofagasta spent what remained of the match appealing to the referee rather than chasing the ball.

Squad

Octavio Rivero keeps the receipts

“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Universidad de Chile may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.

Squad

Tempers go at Universidad de Chile

Charles Aránguiz was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.

Boardroom

5 academy players handed senior numbers at Universidad de Chile

The morning the pathway stops being a brochure and becomes a team sheet. Most of them will not be here in three years; all of them have already done the hard part, which was getting to today.

Match

Universidad de Chile find a way past Antofagasta

Antofagasta made Universidad de Chile work for it, but the scoreboard read 2‑1 at the end and the table does not ask how.

Squad

No hiding place for Juan Martín Lucero

“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Juan Martín Lucero, and the manager let it.

Player ratings

Lucas Assadi in the eights

A performance of 8.86 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.

The terraces

The crowd has taken to Lucas Assadi

At 23 he is being sung about by people twice his age, which is an affection a signing has to earn over years and a local kid gets for turning up. It is also the hardest thing in football to live up to.

Market

Juan Nunez steps up from the Universidad de Chile academy

There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Juan Nunez has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.

In brief