With Brazil and Argentina already qualified since last year and looking at everyone from the top, the South American World Cup Qualifier comes to an end with a double date in which Ecuador and Uruguay are one step away from Catar-2022 and Peru, Chile and Colombia are still dreaming.
For Ecuador, reaching the World Cup is a procedure and you can now uncork the champagne.
Third with 25 points and 10 goals for difference, he would only be out of the first four if he loses - and by a rout - in his visit to the eliminated Paraguay on Thursday and at home against Argentina next Tuesday in the closing and according to the results obtained by Uruguay, Peru and Chile.
Even if those results were given, Ecuador has already secured fifth place, which gives access to the repechage against the fifth in the Asian qualifying round.
Uruguay, fourth with 22 points and minus 3 goals, and Peru, fifth with 21 and under 4, clash with each other in a 'final' at the legendary Centenario stadium in Montevideo this Thursday.
La Celeste, evicted at the end of 2021 in seventh place, which led to the dismissal of DT Oscar Tabárez after fifteen years at the helm of the team and naming Diego Alonso in his place, won his two matches last day - against Paraguay away and Venezuela in Montevideo - and was on the verge of getting the direct ticket to Catar-2022.
To seal their qualification directly and at a final date, the hosts of 'gunslinger' Luis Suarez must beat Peru and hope that Chile does not defeat Brazil on the same day. Otherwise, they must travel to Santiago on the last date to define their future.
Peru, for its part, needs to score at least one point against Uruguay to continue dreaming of the direct ticket.
If they lose in Montevideo, those led by Ricardo Gareca know that they have one bullet left in the chamber, which happens to beat Paraguay on Tuesday in Lima to enter the repechage, as long as Brazil does not lose to Chile.
In this case, the Inca national team will reach fifth place on the last date, with everything in its favor to ensure the repechage, just as it did four years ago when it returned to a World Cup after 36 years of absence, since Spain-1982.
The Chilean golden generation, who knew how to give their country the first two titles in its history by winning the 2015 and 2016 America Cups, rested on their laurels and after not qualifying for the World Cup in Russia-2018 is heading to a new failure.
La Roja, sixth with 19 points and less 1, will have to score at least one point against Brazil on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, to arrive with real chances to fight for the quota in the repechage on Tuesday, when they host Uruguay at the close of the qualifier.
The task seems very difficult for an aging team, which four years ago also reached the definition on Brazilian soil and was beaten 3-0 by the eleven auriverde, being left out of Russia.
Below, with 17 points and a balance of minus 3, Colombia still has a mathematical chance of even qualifying straight or fighting for fifth place, but knows that only a miracle will allow it to reach Qatar.
For the coffee team - the great disappointment of the qualifier - the equation is simple: it must win the eliminated Bolivia at home and then Venezuela in Puerto Ordaz and wait for the results of Chile, Peru and Uruguay to see if the gods help it and it is still in the race.
- Matches of the seventeenth date:
Thursday:
In Barranquilla (23h30 GMT): Colombia - Bolivia
In Montevideo (23h30 GMT): Uruguay - Peru
In Rio de Janeiro (23:30 GMT): Brazil - Chile
In Asunción (23h30 GMT): Paraguay - Ecuador
Friday
In Buenos Aires (23h30 GMT): Argentina - Venezuela
- Positions:
Pts J G E P Gf Gc Dif
1. Brazil * 39 15 12 3 0 32 5 27 ranked
2. Argentina * 35 15 10 5 0 23 7 16 classified
3. Ecuador 25 16 7 4 5 25 15 10
5. Uruguay 22 16 6 4 6 19 22 -3
4. Peru 21 16 6 3 7 17 21 -4
6. Chile 19 16 5 4 7 19 20 -1
7. Colombia 17 16 3 8 5 16 19 -3
8. Bolivia 15 16 4 3 9 23 35 -12
9. Paraguay 13 16 2 7 7 9 23 -14
10. Venezuela 10 16 3 1 12 14 30 -16
* They have their match suspended
Matches of the eighteenth and final date, on March 29:
In Santiago: Chile - Uruguay
In Lima: Peru - Paraguay
In Guayaquil: Ecuador - Argentina
In La Paz: Bolivia - Brazil
In Puerto Ordaz: Venezuela - Colombia
ma/ol
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