This Tuesday, March 29, the Colombian national team will visit Venezuela to play the last date of the South American Qualifiers to Qatar 2022, matchday 18. This Thursday, in last match, which was against Bolivia, the national team opened up a small chance of going to the World Cup after winning 3-0.
The final day will be crucial for Colombia, as it will depend on the results of other matches to be able to go to the repechage. Keep in mind that there are two more teams that are in the same situation as the squad led by Reinaldo Rueda: Peru and Chile.
For the miracle to happen, it must be borne in mind that the Colombian team is in sixth place in the standings, with 20 points; one down from Peru, which is fifth, so it will have to beat Venezuela and hope that the Gareca team does not score the three points against Paraguay; and that Chile beats Uruguay, since with these results the coffee box would manage to seal its passage to the repechage.
Now, the team led by Reinaldo Rueda is training for Tuesday's duel against José Pékerman's Vinotinto. With this match, it will be the eighth consecutive qualifier that Colombia closes as a visitor and, in the previous seven, has not lost any commitments.
Of the seven closing matches played, there are only two draws, against Argentina, in Buenos Aires, to secure a spot for the 1998 World Cup in France, and 1-1 in Lima against Peru to win the direct qualification to Russia 2018. In addition, for the United States 1994 it was 0-5 in the Monumental and from the Korea-Japan Qualifiers to those in Brazil, the rival was Paraguay, with four wins from the 'tricolor' in Asunción, but only qualifying in 2014.
This means that the national team has been without losing for 45 years in the last match. The last time the national team lost on the last date of the South American Qualifiers, they headed for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. By that date, the qualifying format was different and Colombia was part of Group 1 alongside Paraguay and Brazil, losing 6-0 in Rio de Janeiro at the close of their participation.
Now, it should be borne in mind that in the other qualifiers that ended with defeat were those of the World Championships in Sweden 1958 and Mexico 1970, both against Paraguay where they lost 3-0 and 2-1, respectively. To date, the Colombian national team has 16 matches played for the last date of the South American Playoffs, of which, in 9 they took the victory, they have 4 draws and 3 losses. In addition, they count 26 goals in favor and 18 against.
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