9. Ivan Zamorano And Marcelo Salas (Chile 1994-2001)
Combined Appearances - 103 Goals - 59 It was not until 1998 that Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas were able to show off their prolific partnership on a stage befitting their talents. The France '98 World Cup was an opportunity for the squad as a whole to make up for lost time, as the Chile national side had been banned from USA 1994 for attempting to get an Italia '90 qualifier abandoned, also being disqualified from that tournament. Warming up for France '98, Salas gave an individual display of excellence at Wembley as Chile beat England 2-0. Salas and Zamorano had already ripped up the qualifying phase, sharing an incredible 23 goals to ensure they qualified ahead of Peru on goal difference. Once the tournament proper started, Salas then scored another three goals to seal a last 16 match against Brazil, but even another Salas goal couldn't stop elimination for La Roja. It didn't matter, as the Zamorano/Salas duo had already written itself into Chilean folklore. They always both played with a smile on their face, and both also found their way to Serie A, with Zamorano for Inter Milan and Salas for Juventus and Lazio. Each of those managers must surely have tried to pair them up, and with good reason.
I am from Bangor, aged 24, and possess an MA in Journalism from The University Of Ulster. I have had work published in the Belfast Telegraph and interviewed several local footballers and Olympic athletes. I also run my own sports blog, 'Sporting Thought' in addition to contributing to What Culture.
