2014 World Cup Qualifying

Unlike every other Confederation this one will be the same as it has been for recent World Cups. The one difference is host nation Brasil is exempt from qualifying. But the schedule will remain the same as before, home and away against all the other competing nations, for a total 16 games.

Some coaching news, Paraguay's coach Gerardo Martino has stepped down following the Copa America and former Paraguayan right back Francisco Arce will take over for him. Arce's only coaching experience is with modest club Rubio Nu so this is a risky move.

South America's 5th place team will playoff vs the Oceania champion likely New Zealand. You would have to like the South American team's chances in that one.

Chile are preparing for the start of World Cup qualifying in October by playing Spain and Mexico in early September. a pair of excelelnt preparatory games for them and Claudio Borghi looking for an offensive alternative to the oft injured Humberto Suazo, has called up Gustavo Canales, the Argentine born forward with U de Chile. Canales has had a lot of success in league play and he, Mauricio Pinilla and Diego Rubio, who is with Sporting Lisbon, are being looked at to se eif one of them can become Chile's goalscoring hope. Suazo of course remains in the picture and when healthy is a good weapon but Chile need othe roptions with Suazo's health often a question mark.

Another new guy called in is left sided defender Miguel Aceval of Universidad de Concepcion.

Despite their quarterfinal loss to Venezuela, the Copa America was a success overall for Chile and I think they showed they can be one of the favorites to qualify out of South America.

Some national team managers are already naming their squads for the opening of World Cup qualification on october 7 and 11. in the Argentina forum we discuss Argentina's team. here is Chile's team to play away to Argenina and home to peru:

Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad), Miguel Pinto (Atlas, Mexico), Cristopher Toselli (Universidad Catolica).

Defenders: Pablo Contreras (PAOK), Waldo Ponce (Cruz Azul, Mexico), Christian Vilches (Colo Colo), Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich).

Midfielders: Gary Medel (Sevilla), Carlos Carmona (Atalanta), Francisco Silva (Universidad Catolica), Arturo Vidal (Juventus), Felipe Seymour (Genoa), Mauricio Isla (Udinese), Jose Pedro Fuenzalida (Colo Colo), Charles Aranguiz (Universidad de Chile), Matias Fernandez, (Sporting, Portugal), Jorge Valdivia (Palmeiras, Brazil), Cristobal Jorquera (Genoa), Jean Beauseour (Birmingham), Matias Campos Toro (Audax).

Forwards: Humberto Suazo (Monterrey, Mexico), Mauricio Pinilla (Palermo), Eduardo Vargas (Universidad de Chile), Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo), Carlos Munoz (Colo Colo).


Chile opens with their two biggest rivals. The injured Alexis Sanchez is the major absence, the rest are the players Borghi has been using since he took over.

Well it is here, time for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers to start, here is the match day 1 schedule:

Friday
Uruguay-Bolivia
Ecuador-Venezuela
Argentina-Chile
Peru-Paraguay

Argentina-Chile should be a fascinating match, Chile are coming off a pretty good Copa America but one where they ultimately fell short due to lack of finishing. Argentina, under a new coach, are still a bit of an unknown. Chile won't back down even away from home but that may also open up space for Argentina to exploit.

Peru-Paraguay is another intriguing game between the teams which finished 3rd and 2nd in the last Copa America. Paraguay are debuting a new coach (Francisco Arce) and have that solid defense we all know about while Peru are looking very organized, the question is whether Pizarro and Farfan, two stars who missed Copa America, will help the team or whether their presence will hurt the hard working Peruvians?

Ecuador-Venezuela, a match of two nations looking to step up and become forces on the continental scene. And finally there is the game between arguably the best team in the region, Uruguay, versus the worst, Bolivia.

This is the big question involving Peru but Markarian is an experienced coach who has seen it all. If anybody can get Pizarro, Guerrero, Vargas and Farfan playing toogether, it would be him. If Peru keeps its head I think this can be their best chance to qualify for a World Cup in years.

For those wondering, the nations who have changed coaches since the Copa America have been Argentina, now coached by Alejandro Sabella, Paraguay now coached by Francisco Arce and Colombia now led by Leonel Alvarez.

With Brazil not participating, one nation will have a bye each round of play (that nation would have been scheduled to face Brazil) In this opening week, the team with a bye is Colombia. With Leonel Alvarez the new coach there still are question marks over how the team will play, it looks like Alvarez is ready to give James Rodriguez, the teenaged star at porto, a chance to start as an attacking midfielder, and that the new coach wants to use Teofilo Gutierrez and Radamel Falcao together in attack. However with Colombia's first game away in the altitude of Bolivia, there is a chance, possibly a good one that Gutierrez could be dropped for an additional midfielder.

Colombian fans are optimistic not only based on the team's generally good work at Copa America but also because Leonel Alvarez sould bring some new ideas to the team which will differ from the Maturana school of coaching which have prevailed for so any years among Colombian national team coaches.

Uruguay head in to these qualifiers full of optimism, and confidence, following their Copa America win. Tabarez is waiting on the full fitness for both Cavani and Suarez and if either can not go then they will be replaced by Alvaro Gonzalez of Lazio (for Cavani) and Abel Hernandez of Palermo (for Suarez.) The rest of the team should be the same as that which won the Copa America over Paraguay.

This is how I see the 9 competing teams as they enter the start of qualifying:

Uruguay-full of confidence, will need to slowly integrate more young players into the team, otherwise redy to confirm status as region's top team;

Argentina-trying to find a way to get Messi to play at his best within the team concept; question marks in goal, defense and at playmaker need to be answered;

Paraguay-what changes will a new coach bring, tough defense as always but will need to score goals. Their dogged approach and good defense can carry them far in qualifying;

Chile-quick and skillful, the team seems to have it all except lacks a consistent goalscorer and struggles defending in the air, especially on set pieces;

Peru-showing great improvement and organziation under Markarian's coaching. Need to integrate their 4 stars into their overall collective play. Could be a team to surprise in these qualifiers;

Bolivia-Must win at home in the high altitude to have any chance of qualifying. Weakest team both technically and physically in the region;

Ecuador-speed and strength but questions on defense, midfield and overall team organization;

Colombia-new coach brings new attitude and in Falcao & Gutierrez have a dynamic attacking pair. Defense always is solid, key will be midfielders getting the ball to the attackers;

Venezuela-Lot's of confidence after Copa America semifinal appearance. Much more balanced than before, need to cut down on mistakes and finish their chances if they want to surprise and qualify for 2014.

Soe good analysis El profe, i pretty much agree with your assessments but will add this in reply to your comments on Argentina,

I think Sergio Romero has answered the doubts in goal, he is a solid goalkeeper. But Argentina need to find a reliable defense, today Nicolas Otamendi will play in defense and he is a player many have wanted to see in central defense. The other question I think is midfield, not simply who the playmaker will be (it looks like it will be Messi) but the other midfielders and whether they can adequately supply the attackers. We will start to find some answers to these questions in a few hours.

I too think El Profe has given us a lesson on how these 9 teams look heading into qualifying. Ecuador in 2010 qualifying and Colombia in 2010 and 2006 qualifying each paid a heavy price for getting off to slow starts. There are 16 games to play of course but the key for all teams will naturally be to win at home and see if you can steal some points on the road. Those that achieve that should be able to qualify.

For those of us in the US, we are getting screwed over by TV, the games are only available on pay per view at the price of $30 per game! Or $79 for all 4 games per round. that is robbery and I know many people who are refusing to even consider ordering any games at that price, myself included.

Other options are radio: espndeportesradio.com will carry all of the games on radio and via the internet. That is also available at Sirius ch. 149 and may be an over the air station if you live in an area with a large Spanish speaking population.

What a rip off! I know fans want to see these games but those prices are ridiculous. The PPV rights holders forgot there is a rescession going on! Hopefully people will boycott the PPV games

For 2010, ESPN Deportes had the rights to one live game (usually the least attractive one of the round but hey at least it was on live) and they would show the others on 2 day delay. Apparently they did not get the rights this time around. But at least they do have the radio rights. I am listening now at work and Uruguay sound like they are picking up where they left off at Copa America, they lead Bolivia 3x1 at the half.

Round 1 results:
Uruguay 4-2 Bolivia
Ecuador 2-0 Venezuela
Argentina 4-1 Chile
Peru 2-0 Paraguay

A day of goals, Uruguay started it off with an easy win over Bolivia, 2 goals from Diego Lugano and one each from Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. All the charruas goals came through the air.

Ecaudor then took the stage and dominated Venezuela with jaime Ayovi and Cristian Benitez each scoring. Good game by Antonio Valencia on the wing.

Argentina hammered Chile 4-1 behind 3 goals from Gonzalo Higuain and one from Lio Messi as the Higuain-Messi partnership blossomed.

Peru began with the right foot as Paolo Guerrero scored 2 second half goals in their win over Paraguay.

Plenty of offense on the first day of World Cup qualifying.

A great day for the home teams, and rather surprisingly none of the games were particularly close. I think the losses by Paraguay and Chile, or at least the margins of their defeats, was the most surprising. paraguay showed very little willingness to go forward and even their well drilled defense can only keep the opposition out for so long.

Chile attacked even on the road, perhaps naively at times but really it was their defense which made mistakes which Argentina pounced upon.

I am not sur eif it was paraguay or Chile who were the most disappointing teams in this first round of games. i know Paraguay are with a new coach and still have a period of adaptation but their offensive weakness showed in their loss at Peru. Paraguay need to create more scoring chances.

As for Chile, well enganche speleld it out, naive defending did them in against Argentina.

There is much to praise, however, in the first day's play by Argentina, Peru and Ecuador. And uruguay go without saying now. You just know that is a team which knows how to get it done.

Round 2 of matches,

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

So Colombia make their debut, on the road in La Paz while Ecuador have the round off and will play a friendly in New York against the US.

No surprise that all 4 home teams won last Friday especially with two of the region's powers Argentina and Uruguay each at home. But now we get to see how both will do on the road in this 2nd day of matches. Argentina travels to play Venezuela in humid Puerto Ordaz while Uruguay plays at Paraguay who not only will be looking for revenge from their Copa America Final defeat but also looking to right themselves after last week's disappointing loss in Peru. Paraguay I think still feel the loss of Salvador Cabanas, whose career ended when he was shot in the head in Mexico City in early 2010, he was the heart and soul of that Paraguayan team and gave them some dynamism in attack which they have since been missing. I get the feeling both Argentina and Uruguay would be satisfied by taking one point from their visits tomorrow. Anything more would be a bonus.

Chile-Peru play in their Clasico del Pacifico which is a fierce rivalry, probably the biggest national team rivalry in South America which does not involve Argentina, Uruguay or Brazil. Chile are one of those teams who will either look very good, as they did throughout much of the World Cup and Copa America, or will make silly mistakes which lead to their self destruction, as they did last Friday versus Argentina. There rarely is any medium ground with Chile. As for Peru, I am really curious to see how their well organized team under Sergio Markarian will do on the road. In Copa America they showed a lot of defensive solidity which will be useful especially on the road but will Markarian drop one of his talented four attackers (Pizarro, Guerrero, Farfan or Vargas) to take a more pragmatic approach on the road?

As an Argentine, I am cautiously optimistic about our team under Alejandro Sabella. I do believe he will provide more balance to the team as he seems the coach best able to combine Argentina's attacking flair with some defensive solidity. Tomorrow's game against Venezuela should begin to give us some more answers in that regard. If Romero is unable to play in goal, I would prefer to see Orion rather than Andujar as I think Orion is more consistent than the sometimes error prone Andujar. I eventually hope Catania's Matias Silvestre and Napoli's Hugo Campagnaro join Nicolas Otamendi as central defenders on the squad as the defense gets renovated.