World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

GustavoAlfaroconsistentlyplayed
downtheimportanceof theCopa,
hissidedidwellagainstthetougher
opponentsand,as Argentinacoach
LionelScaloni commentedaftera
hard-foughtquarter-final,theyhave
ahighly-promisingcropof youngsters

• somethingthatmustmakeChile
  veryjealous.
  Uruguay havemadeittothelast
  threeWorldCupsandColombiatothe
  lasttwo,andbothmust feelconfident
  ofmakingit toQatar. Butthereare
  problemstoresolve.
  AsbothRussia 2018 andBrazil
  2021 madeclear, Colombiaarebadly
  dependentonJamesRodriguez for
  attackinginspiration.IntheCopathey
  finishedthirdafterwinningjusttwo
  gamesfromseven–arecordthatcan
  workmuchbetter inatournament
  thaninaqualificationleague.

Rodriguezhasclearlyfallenoutwith

somemembersofthesquad,andthese

relationsneedtobepatchedupquickly.

Uruguay areveryshortof goals,

which,giventheattackingresourcesat

theirdisposal,isahugedisappointment.

Has 4 -4-2becomeastraitjacket?

Team P W D L Pts

1 Brazil 6 6 0 0 18

2 Argentina 6 3 3 0 12

3 Ecuador 6 3 0 3 9

4 Uruguay 6 2 2 2 8

5 Colombia 6 2 2 2 8

6 Paraguay 6 1 4 1 7

7 Chile 6 1 3 2 6

8 Bolivia 6 1 2 3 5

9 Venezuela 6 1 1 4 4

10 Peru 6 1 1 4 4

THESTANDINGS

ShouldtheycontinuewithbothLuis

SuarezandEdinsonCavaniupfront?

Thesearebigdecisionsforcoach

OscarTabareztotake.

Elsewhere,Paraguayhavebeen

droppingtoomanypointsat home,

proofthatcoachEduardoBerizzo

hasas yetbeenunabletoimplantthe

ultra-attackinggameofhismentor,

MarceloBielsa.Boliviahavestartedto

pickupawaypoints –twodrawseither

sideofahomewin,givingcoachCesar

Fariashopethattheycanshrugoffa

dreadfulstart,takeadvantageofthe

extremealtitudeofLaPazandmake

ittotheirfirst WorldCupsince 1994

intheUnitedStates.

And,forthemoment,atleast,

Venezuelacanstilldreamofmaking

theirWorldCupdebut.TheCOVID

epidemictheysufferedduringthe

CopapreventedcoachJosePeseiro

doinganythingelsethandefendingin

depthandhoping,andthetwodraws

theyobtainedwerethemotiveof

considerablepride.Nowthey should

havetheirattackingweaponsback–

strikerSalomonRondonflankedby

quickwingers.Andsothey,likeeveryone

elseinthemostcompetitivequalification

campaignontheplanet,arestill entitled

tohavetheirsightsonQatar.

WORLDSERVICE

Copachamps...

Argentina resume

qualifyingas

championsof

SouthAmerica

Troubledtimes...JamesRodriguez is misfiringforhiscountry

U

p

d

a

t

e

MarceloMartins...theBolivianisthetop scorerin qualifyingwithsixgoals