KVSP What’s at stake in CONMEBOL qualifiers, including Lionel Messi’s injury status and Argentina vs. Brazil
Written by Lucky Wilson | KJMM.COM on November 10, 2021
So here we are. It’s not quite the end but the outcome is fast approaching.
As South America prepares for the final two rounds of the calendar year, this World Cup campaign, one that has included on- and off-the-pitch drama and ongoing factors due to the pandemic, is getting closer to a clearer picture. We’re not there yet, and the table is indeed anxiously tight, but after next week, we should be able to at least understand the contenders from the pretenders.
Six matchdays remain. Four automatic places and one inter-confederation playoff slot. This time around, there is a continental Superclásico in store, a need for perfection from a few countries, a chance for redemption for others and all in all, an opportunity to make a statement, one that hopefully clears a path for the World Cup, which is weirdly just over a year away.
For some, the journey has been traveled with relative ease. The undefeated Brazil, for example, who didn’t even initially call up the red-hot, scintillating Vinicius Jr., can pass over the hurdle if they beat Colombia on Thursday and book their place for next year, continuing their dominance as the only nation to feature in every single World Cup. Colombia — fresh from welcoming back James Rodriguez, alongside in-form star Luis Diaz (Radamel Falcao is sidelined with a thigh injury) — have been the only team in the the cycle so far to deny Brazil three points so it won’t be easy for Tite’s side, but regardless, Brazil’s fate seems to have already been written. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when” they qualify. The neutral might also not want Brazil to win on Thursday, however, seeing as the next game is a cracker against Argentina, with the two sides set to play an “uninterrupted” full 90 minutes for the first time since this past summer’s Copa America final where La Albiceleste overcame its fierce rival and became champion, handing over Lionel Messi’s first major trophy. As we know, they were meant to meet back in September but that game’s suspension and its fate have not yet been determined, but as mentioned, Brazil may not even need it.
Argentina are also almost there. To seal a spot in this window is not impossible but a few improbable things need to go their way and for Uruguay, Colombia or Chile to seriously stumble. Nevertheless, at this point, Argentina just need to take care of Argentina as Lionel Scaloni’s biggest dilemma right now is figuring out what to do with Lionel Messi’s knee injury. The team’s star and leader continues to deal with it as it has kept him out of action with PSG in recent matches. In training this week, Messi has been working alone and the plan is for him to definitely feature against Brazil, but the first game against Uruguay might come too early. Reports have suggested that he could feature as a substitute later in the game but as a starter seems highly unlikely. With or without Messi, however, the objective of a World Cup spot for the current South American champion is getting closer to completion.
The properly anxious qualifying battles — as it’s historically been the case — are below.
Ecuador, the talented darling who just needs to finish off the same way it begins, sit in third place (17 points) and face Venezuela and Chile in this window, where attaining six points is not unrealistic. The aforementioned Colombia and Uruguay are just a point behind but it’s the latter that enters this month with a hint of anxiety. Oscar El Maestro Tabarez, the country’s most respected coach, escaped the axe after failing to win Uruguay’s triple fixture in October, which included embarrassing defeats to Argentina (3-0) and Brazil (4-1) and forced public opinion to question his reign. The federation concluded that Tabarez, who took over the national team in 2006 and essentially revolutionized Uruguayan football thanks to his football-thesis, mission statement otherwise known as El Proceso, would stay. These next two games, therefore, are massive for La Celeste, and it won’t be a walk in the park as La Paz’s altitude and Bolivia come knocking after a home game against Argentina. They should be OK in the long run but much like Belgium, the country’s golden generation is not getting younger, so the process for their younger players to take center stage is being accelerated.
Elsewhere, six points separate 10th (Venezuela) and sixth (Chile) so it’s fair to say that the contentious, unpredictable drama continues even lower. It’s do or die for all of the teams swimming in these waters as none can afford to drop points, especially at home. This includes my Peru, who cannot afford anything less than a perfect November, as they face Bolivia (home) and Venezuela (away).
In the end, as we have always said, South American World Cup qualifiers remain the toughest region to play as geographical, meteorological conditions and the abundance of talent and diverse competition make it a cocktail of maddening football. I haven’t talked about the return of fans, who make it even more hostile for the visiting team. But what makes this continent’s matches so unique is the unfiltered drama — on and off the pitch — that surrounds almost every game.
Chaos is a ladder, as Littlefinger of “Game of Thrones” reminds us. In South American qualifiers, this could not be more true.
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