Just a few rounds gone and, of the nine teams in contention, only two have yet to win a game. The other seven already have one success to their name, but nobody has two. The figures don’t just show it, they shout it: World Cup qualification in South America is more competitive than anywhere else on the planet.
True, Brazil are not in the running this time – as they qualify automatically as 2014 hosts – and the continent has retained all of its slots (the top four go straight through to the World Cup, with the side finishing fifth playing off against opponents from Asia). But even with so many places available, for South America’s sides the short trip to Brazil will only come at the end of a long and bumpy road, full of pitfalls, especially away from home.
Of the eight games played over the first two rounds, six were won by the home side. Long journeys, a variety of conditions including altitude and heat, the intimidating atmosphere created by the home fans – all can take their toll on the traveling team. The high profile victims last Tuesday were Argentina, Lionel Messi and all, who slumped to a 1-0 defeat visiting Venezuela in Puerto La Cruz.
It was a result that made headlines all over the world. After all, this was history being made as Venezuela had never previously beaten Argentina.
But no one acquainted with the contemporary reality of the South American game should have been particularly surprised. Like Ecuador a few years ago, Venezuela’s star has been rising with astonishing speed – in itself a tribute to the dramatic rise in standards since South America adopted the current marathon format of qualifiers in 1996.
Where previously there had been huge gaps between competitive games, suddenly the South Americans had the kind of calendar that European national teams take for granted, with regular qualifying matches, guaranteed income and the chance to keep a team together and invest in youth development. The less traditional nations have not looked back. Venezuela’s triumph on Tuesday, thoroughly deserved on the balance of play, is the crowning glory of this process. The national team of a country more associated with baseball and beauty contests than with the beautiful game were able to overcome an Argentina side who had thrashed Chile 4-1 in Buenos Aires the previous Friday. Quite simply, there are no minnows left in South American football.
If a ‘minnow’ has to be picked, then Bolivia come closest to falling within the category. They look like the weakest side in the continent, and are unlikely to pick up many points on their travels. At home, though, it is a different matter. No one relishes the trip to La Paz, 3,600 metres above sea level. The lack of oxygen can be torture for unacclimatised opponents – Argentina lost 6-1 there in the previous campaign.
But it is for this reason that Colombia can consider themselves the big winners of these first two rounds. They were the only team to win on the road, claiming the points when Falcao gave them a 2-1 victory in Bolivia with the last kick of the game. Indeed, it worked to Colombia’s advantage that they sat out the first round. It gave them more time to prepare for La Paz and, since Colombia’s capital Bogota is itself at altitude, the trip holds fewer fears for them than for most of the other countries.
Still, they had not won there in recent campaigns and have consistently fallen agonisingly short of making the play-off position as a result. Starting out with three points is a real boost, and Colombia had special reason to be delighted with a performance of skill and great maturity on the left of midfield from James Rodriguez. As he matures through the campaign the hopes are that the Porto youngster could help provide the touch of quality to take his side to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
Another late goal stopped Uruguay becoming the second team to win away from home. A goal up against Paraguay – Diego Forlan’s strike making him the national team’s all-time top scorer – Uruguay were only denied the three points when Richard Ortiz forced in a last gasp equaliser. Even so, after brushing Bolivia aside 4-2 in the opening game – with Luis Suarez putting them ahead after just three minutes – the Copa America champions and last year’s World Cup semi-finalists top the group and are the only team still unbeaten after two matches (both Ecuador and Colombia have played one).
It is worth recalling that Uruguay finished the last set of World Cup qualifiers in fifth place, and only booked their slot to South Africa after squeezing past Costa Rica in the play-offs. The fact that the Uruguayans have since gone on to hit such heights is an illustration of the strength in depth of international football in South America. Indeed, as well as being ultra-competitive, the continent’s World Cup qualifiers also have the potential to provide an outstanding spectacle. Twenty seven goals were scored in the opening two rounds, a huge difference from the tight, attritional football the same teams produced just three months ago in the Copa America.
In tournaments, the priority is often avoiding defeat. In a league system, the emphasis is on winning, and the South American sides have switched focus as a consequence. Some of the football played was gloriously open and those fierce Pacific rivals Chile and Peru came up with a showstopping classic in Santiago. Chile won 4-2, but Peru hit the woodwork four times in a pulsating 90 minutes – the kind of game that makes the neutral fan very glad that rounds three and four are only a month away.
Source: ESPN