The marathon South American World Cup qualifying campaign begins this Friday, and the battle to join hosts Brazil in the first finals on the continent since 1978 looks set to be wide open.
Nine teams will face each other home and away over the next two years, with the top four all advancing automatically to the 2014 jamboree, while a fifth nation will take part in a playoff against Asian opposition. Much of the focus will be on traditional powerhouses Argentina and Uruguay ahead of the opening games, albeit for different reasons. Argentina are now rebuilding under new coach Alejandro Sabella after their disappointing showing at the recent Copa America on home soil. The 56-year-old, who led Estudiantes to the Copa Liberatadores title in 2009, replaced Sergio Batista, and must be aware that solving the Lionel Messi conundrum is crucial if he is to be accepted by a passionate public. Messi’s failure to repeat his club form on the international stage is a source of continuing frustration.
“People know that it doesn’t just depend on me,” Messi told Argentine radio ahead of their opening qualifier at home to Chile. “I am not going to win any games on my own, just as I don’t win games on my own with Barcelona. “At international level nobody gives results away. We have had too many disappointments in the recent past. Uruguay must be considered the favourites on current form, as coach Oscar Washington Tabarez has done an extraordinary job of making the small nation of only 3.5 million people a footballing force once again.
La Celeste were World Cup semi-finalists in South Africa in 2010, before confirming that was no fluke by winning the Copa America in July, knocking out Argentina on the way to a final in which they outclassed Paraguay. However, Tabarez sought to ease the pressure on his squad by dismissing that favourites’ tag.
“To think that we are better than other teams because of what we have achieved would be arrogant,” he insists.
“We are going to start these qualifiers better than we have done in the past, with more time to work and with everyone in the squad knowing each other well, but in no way are we favourites.”
Of the rest, Paraguay will be out to maintain their fantastic recent record in qualifying under a new coach in Francisco ‘Chiqui’ Arce, who represented his country in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
Argentine Gerardo Martino stepped down after leading his adopted nation to the final of the Copa America despite not winning a single game in open play in Argentina. Chile remain one of the most attractive footballing sides on the international stage, although Claudio Borghi’s side must begin their campaign without star man Alexis Sanchez of Barcelona due to injury. All the other nations have reason to believe that they can qualify too, with Colombia — led by prolific striker Radamel Falcao — hoping for a fresh start under new coach Leonel Alvarez
He was appointed after predecessor Hernan Dario Gomez resigned in the wake of allegations that he attacked a woman who insulted him in a bar.
Peru finished bottom in qualifying for the 2010 finals, but have been galvanised by their impressive run to the Copa semi-finals, achieved without injured stars Cladio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfan, while neighbours Ecuador are a pale shadow of the side that reached the last 16 in Germany in 2006. They will get the chance to avenge a defeat to Venezuela at the Copa America when they host the Vino Tinto at altitude in Quito.
