World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

Theoriginalreluctanceofthe

playerstotakepartin therecent

CopaAmericawas based on two

areasofdiscontent.One,ofcourse,

wasthepandemic.Theotherwasthe

ideathatpreferenceshouldhavebeen

giventogettinguptoscratchwith

World Cupqualification.

Thisquestionnowneedstobe

addressed.Thereare 12 roundsof

qualifierstocompleteby theendof

March and, even with an extraFIFA

datecreatedattheendofJanuary,this

isstillgoingtobea verytightsqueeze,

almostcertainlyinvolvingtripleheaders

inten days in a vastcontinent.

Thegames,then,will be coming

thickandfast.Andthe scenario has

dividedtheteamsintowhateffectively

lookslike twodifferentcompetitions.

BrazilandArgentinacan

concentrateon preparinga teamfor

Qatar.Thatdoesnot meanthatthe

pressure is off– it neverisforaBrazil

coach, especiallyonewhohasjustlost

a CopaAmericaathome,thefirst

timethishaseverhappenedtoBrazil.

Soalthoughhissideare1 00 percent

inthe campaign, andqualificationis

closetoa formality, Tite needsa good

runof resultscoupledwithimpressive

performances.Ina senseheisa

victim of hisown success.Fiveyears

agowhenhetookoverBrazilwere

strugglingtomakeit to Russia.That

taskthenbecamesoeasythat

victoriesoverSouth Americanrivals

havebeentakenforgranted– until,

ofcourse,the finalofthe Copa.Butto

competewiththewestern Europeans

atthe endofnextyear– thetrue

challenge– he willsurelyhaveto

solvehisproblemat centre-forward.

RivalsArgentinaareunbeatenand

relativelycomfortablein secondplace.

Theyemergefromthe

Copawithmoralesky

high. There arepotentialdangershere

• thesense,afterendingthelongwait
  fora title,ofmissionaccomplished,for
  example,which undidColombiaafter
  theyhadwonthe 2 00 1 Copa.Andthe
  defensive positionsare still notnailed
  down.Buttherestofthecampaign
  shouldserve as an auditionfor Qatar.
  Everyoneelseisscramblingaround
  withhopesandfears,and just five
  pointsseparatethird-placedEcuador
  frombottom-of-the-tablePeru.
  Theseteamshadcontrasting
  fortunesinthe Copa.Peruwillhope
  that, as happenedafterthe 2016
  Copa,therecenttournamentwill
  serveas a springboardto more solid
  performancesinqualification.Ecuador
  werewithouta wininall sevengames
  theyplayedinJuneandJuly. Butcoach

So many

games, so

little time

Chaoticschedulecould

produceinterestingresults

intightly-packedtable

CONMEBOLWorldCup Qualifier

TIMVICKERY

Leaders...Brazilhavea100%winningrecordin qualifyingsofar

BrazilandArgentinacanconcentrateon

preparingateamforQatar...everyoneelse

isscramblingaroundwithhopesandfears