The South American World Cup Qualifiers continue this week when Uruguay and Brazil meet at Centenario Stadium in Montevideo as part of the 13th week of qualifying competition.
The “Charruas” are second in the standings and want to take advantage of playing at home, where they have won all their matches, against a Brazilian team that leads the standings after winning six straight games.
Brazil has not lost points since drawing 2-2 against Paraguay in their visit to Asuncion in March of last year. Since then, they have scored 17 goals and allowed only one against Colombia on September 16. In fact, Brazil has not allowed any goals in four straight games and in five of the last six matches. This is more amazing if you consider that three of those five clean sheets were on the road.
Argentina vs Chile
In another game Argentina will host Chile at the Monumental Stadium, in Buenos Aires. Head coach Edgardo Bauza will try to leave behind Argentina’s recent struggles against Chile, who has defeated the “Albicelestes” in two straight Copa America finals.
Argentina, fifth in the standings, is a team that has not lifted any continental or international trophy since 1993 when it won the Copa America in Ecuador. Before thinking about becoming World Champions for the first time since 1986 and ending that drought, the team first has to qualify to next year’s World Cup in Russia.
The Argentinians can help themselves to do just that if they defeat Chile, who’s a point ahead of them in the standings, and climb into one of the first four places that secure a direct ticket to next year’s tournament.
Chile, for its part, has not lost in its last three games (2 home wins, one draw on the road against feisty Colombia) and wants to continue the streak of good results going to keep Argentina and the rest of its pursuers at bay. The incumbent continental champions know that if they lose they can fall all the way to the sixth position, depending of other results, and be temporarily out of the competition.
In other games Paraguay will host Ecuador, Colombia will host Bolivia and Peru will visit Venezuela.
The games continue next week with a whole new set of fixtures.
