Points to be made in South America - SOUTH AMERICA

Points to be made in South America - SOUTH AMERICA

AFP

Many pundits have said how the South American qualifying competition is the hardest in the world, the latest of them being former Germany midfielder Lothar Matthaus just a few days ago. The CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ are proving that point once more, with only two points separating the top six sides after seven matchdays.

Argentina lead the table with 14 points, followed by Uruguay, Colombia and Ecuador on 13, and Brazil and Paraguay on 12, while Chile lie seventh on ten. With so little to choose between the frontrunners, Tuesday’s five games could see plenty of changes at the top, ahead of October’s double header. FIFA.com looks ahead to another exciting round of matches in South America.

Match of the day
Brazil-Colombia

After recording a very impressive maiden World Cup-qualifying victory in Quito, Brazil are brimming with confidence as newly-installed coach Tite prepares for his home debut. The strike partnership formed by Neymar and the young Gabriel Jesus in Ecuador has raised expectation levels, though players and coaching staff have been mindful to dampen any euphoria, especially with A Verdeamarela currently occupying fifth place in the table.

Facing them in Manaus, in a fixture that has now become a classic, will be a Colombia side with reasons of their own to be cheerful after their fine home win over Venezuela, in which James Rodriguez starred once more. While key holding midfielder Daniel Torres is suspended for Tuesday’s game, Cafetero coach Jose Pekerman does have full-back Santiago Arias available for selection once more. 

The other matchesHaving moved to the top of the table courtesy of last Thursday’s win over Uruguay, Argentina take on bottom-placed Venezuela in Merida, albeit without two key figures: Lionel Messi, who is out with a groin injury, and Paulo Dybala, who is suspended following his sending-off against Uruguay. Coming back into the side, having served a suspension of his own, is left-back Marcos Rojo. With only a single point to their name, La Vinotinto need a repeat of their historic defeat of the Argentinians in the last World Cup qualifying campaign. Defenders Wilker Angel and Rolf Feltscher will both miss the game after picking up red cards against Colombia.

Uruguay entertain Paraguay at the Estadio Centenario with designs on reversing their recent form. After failing to impress at the Copa America Centenario, the Uruguayans relinquished their leadership of the table in Mendoza last week, prompting Oscar Tabarez to reshuffle his team with a view to giving Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani more support in attack, with Cristian Rodriguez and Gaston Ramirez both coming into the side. Buoyed by their defeat of Chile, Los Guaraníes will be without centre-half Gustavo Gomez, who is injured, though the industrious Nestor Ortigoza is set to make a return to the side.

Shorn of the services of captain Gary Medel, following his dismissal in Asuncion, Chile entertain a Bolivia side instilled with new hope after coach Angel Hoyos’ triumphant debut against Peru. Roja coach Juan Pizzi has the task of finding a suitable replacement for the inspirational Medel and of steering Chile into the automatic qualification places. Their opponents, who have only six points to their name, are intent on ending a major hoodoo, having gone 49 away games without a win in the qualifiers. Bolivia’s last success on the road came against Venezuela in 1993.

Old rivals Peru and Ecuador both have problems to address when they face off in Lima. Semi-finalists at the 2015 Copa America, the hosts lie one place off the bottom of the table with four points and eight adrift of the play-off place. In making several changes to his side, Ricardo Gareca has recalled striker Paolo Guerrero. Following a stunning start to the campaign, the Ecuadorians are having a 2016 to forget. With only a solitary friendly win to their name all year, La Tri have gone from first to fourth in the table. On the bright side, Ecuador will have star man Antonio Valencia back in action in the Peruvian capital.

Player to watchLucas Pratto (Argentina)

Newly-installed Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza has high hopes for the 28-year-old Atletico Mineiro striker, having brought him into the Albiceleste squad for the first time and handed him a start in the win over Uruguay. Pratto’s brief in that game was to pull defenders away and create space for the incoming Messi, Dybala and Angel Di Maria behind him, though with the first two absent for the trip to Venezuela, he will have goalscoring duties to shoulder on Tuesday. Given Argentina’s surfeit of attacking riches, new faces such as the well-built Pratto, who goes by the nickname of El Oso (The Bear), have to make the most of every opportunity they get. As he has shown in the Brazilian league, however, he has the finishing skills and all-round game to get himself noticed.

Did you know?Colombia have never beaten Brazil in a World Cup qualifier, either home or away, in ten attempts. Defeated in five of those games, Los Cafeteros drew the other five and have only won three of their 27 encounters with the Brazilians overall: a 1985 friendly in Bogota, a 1991 Copa America match in Chile, and a 1-0 win in last year’s Copa America, also in Chile.

The words
“I can tell you that we haven’t thought about anything else other than fighting hard. The players and I are not going to give up until we’re mathematically out of it. We absolutely believe we can make fifth place. When the numbers tell us otherwise, then we’ll think about something else.” Peru coach Ricardo Gareca

Matchday 8 fixtures:6 September

Venezuela-Argentina
Uruguay-Paraguay
Chile-Bolivia
Brazil-Colombia
Peru-Ecuador