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Preview: CONMEBOL qualifiers, Round 12
by Felipe Santos
The end of March is going to see the next round in the way
the South American countries are doing to 2006 World Cup. In my opinion,
this round may confirm the fact that Brazil and Argentina are doing a
great job and are almost taking their places on the plane headed for
Germany, and may put some other countries in the good road, like Uruguay,
Paraguay, Ecuador and Colombia. But, last weekend, some facts happened
and changed the scenario in this round, which will take place in March
26/27/29/30.
Facts like the knee injury of Adriano, the Brazilian striker,
in the game between Inter Milan and Fiorentina, for the Italian League.
Adriano was sent out from the Brazilian squad called up by the coach Carlos
Alberto Parreira and gave his place to the midfielder Ricardinho, who plays
for Santos and took part in the champion squad of 2002 WC. But Brazil has
Robinho, who can substitute Adriano perfectly if Brazil plays in 4-3-3. And
we cannot forget the traditional players: Ronaldo, who are not doing good on
Real Madrid (he even threw a bottle of water on some fans, during the game
between Madrid and Malaga, for the Spanish League), but is always important,
Ronaldinho, Kaka, Cafu, Roberto Carlos...
But, even with these players, the "Selecao" must have some
difficulties against Peru and Uruguay, if playing in a unserious way. Peru
has already proved that it´s not an easy team to deal with, and Brazil saw it in
the first leg facing the Peruvians (1-1, in Lima, November 16, 2003). In
spite of the fact that the coach of the team, the Brazilian Paulo Autuori,
is being criticized for a long time by the Peru press, the Peruvians are in
an evolution process. As I wrote, the squad has some experience and good
players, like the strikers Claudio Pizarro, who plays for Bayern Munich, and
Jefferson Farfán, who plays for PSV Eindhoven. And they have chances to
improve in the table, as they are with 13 points, same number of Colombia,
Chile and Venezuela. So, they will probably be a serious enemy for the
Brazilians in Goiania, March 26.
However, this game is not so dangerous for Brazil as the game
against Uruguay, four days after, in Montevideo. Since the "Maracanazo" in
1950 WC, which always brings sad memories to the Brazilians, every game
between Brazil and Uruguay has been almost a battle, full of strategies like
a big flag the Uruguayans show in the games against the "Canarinhos", in
which there´s only one inscription: "1950". The flag doesn´t need many
things, does it?
Besides that, the Uruguayan team appears to be more defined.
After a period of crisis, including a shame defeat for Venezuela in
Montevideo (3-0) and the resignation of the coach Juan Ramon Carrasco, the
"Celeste Olimpica", now under the command of Jorge Fossati, the squad is
empowering itself. It includes the fact that the main striker in Uruguay,
Diego Forlan, who was not talking with Fossati, because he was not even
among the substitutes in the last games, set his differences and his crisis
with the coach and came back to the squad. And, with the players experienced
from 2002 WC, like the goalkeeper Fabian Carini and the striker Richard
Morales, and new players, like the defender Diego Lugano, who knows
something about Brazilian football (he plays on Sao Paulo), Uruguay is
back in the fight and a victory against Brazil would not be a surprise. And
there´s a fact: Brazil has not beaten Uruguay in Montevideo since 1976, when
Zico commanded the team in a 2-1 victory. So, this game promises us a lot of
emotions.
And there´s Argentina. The "azul-celeste" has an easier task: they
will face the team which is in the bottom of the table, Bolivia. The
Bolivians are so much far from that generation that went to 1994 WC. They
changed the coach three times only in this qualifiers. Now they substituted
the experienced 60-year-old Ramiro Blacut (it was his third time commanding
Bolivia) for Ovidio Messa, who will appear for the first time on the bench
during this round. For worse, one of the main players in the squad, the
defender Juan Manuel Peña, who plays for Villarreal, Spain, suffered a
knee injury in the game between his team and Steaua Bucaresti, from Romania,
for the UEFA Cup, last weekend, and will probably be off the team. So,
Bolivia is in bad conditions. I believe that, despite of the surprises
football sometimes brings to us, Argentinians will not have a lot of
difficulties to beat Bolivia. In their other game, against Colombia, they are
favourites, but can face more difficulties.
And Colombia may offer difficulties to Argentina because of its
first game in this qualifying round, against Venezuela. In my opinion, it´s
a game to see. "Los Cafeteros" and "La Vinotinto" have the chance to enter
in the fight to get the last places in 2006 WC and will fight for it. But
both of them lost important players. Colombia lost his main striker, Juan
Pablo Angel, for a knee injury (another one...) and Venezuela...well, the
squad faced a hard fright last weekend, when the midfielder Juan Arango,
important in the tactic scheme of Richard Paez, had his face hit by the
elbow in a crash with Javi Navarro, in the game of Spanish League between
Sevilla and Mallorca, on March 20. Just after the crash, Arango fell on the
ground, had some espasms and even lost his breath for some moments, but
fortunately he soon recovered himself. He was brought to a hospital in
Mallorca and there the medicians concluded he had the malar broken. It caused
fear among the other Venezuelan players. "When we knew Arango´s life was in
danger, it affected us so much", said the goalkeeper Gilberto Angelucci.
Well, frights aside, I believe these two teams will fight for the
victory. A draw will be a bad result for both. Reinaldo Rueda´s eleven is
more defined and can enter in the fight. But Richard Paez can take his
players to victory and put Venezuela definitely in the fight. So, I´ll
see carefully this game.
And Paraguay? Well, the "albirroja" is not playing very well, but
it isn´t that bad. They are average. Starting to change the old
generation (from the players who were at 1998 World Cup, only the defender
Carlos Gamarra and the forward Jose Cardozo are still in the team), the
coach Anibal Ruiz is carefully commanding Paraguay and putting the team in
good conditions to guarantee a place in what would be the third World Cup
consecutive for Paraguayans. And this round may be decisive for Paraguay.
They´re going to face Chile, which is starting to be like Paraguay, changing
the players from the generation who took place at 1998 WC (only the
goalkeeper Nelson Tapia and the striker Marcelo Salas are in the team), and
is in the fight for a place in the 2006 WC, and Ecuador.
As I said in my column, Ecuador is even more experienced and is on a
good way to qualify for its second World Cup consecutive. They are in the
third position at the table and want to play and do well in their next
games, against Paraguay and Peru. There were parties all over the country
when they qualified for Korea/Japan 2002 and they want to repeat this. They will be
hard enemies for Paraguay and can, why not, win the game.
Well, that´s it. We are entering an exciting stage in South American 2006 WC
qualifiers. From this moment, every game will be a final for the teams who
have chances. Brazil and Argentina, winning their next two games, will
guarantee a place in Germany 2006. So, which teams will follow them on the
road to German lands? Paraguay and his safe style of playing? Ecuador,
a new force in South America football? Uruguay, the tradition?
Colombia, who wants to come back to feel the atmosphere of a World Cup?
Venezuela, the surprise? Well, all these answers we´re starting to see in
the next round. See you next week!
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