BUENOS AIRES: The South American World Cup qualifiers return this weekend, with regional giants seeking to move up a gear en route to South Africa 2010.
Paraguay, who currently top the table, are set to host third-placed Chile tomorrow in Asuncion in the 13th round of the qualifiers. Very possibly without injured star striker Roque Santa Cruz, they will try to consolidate their comfortable 3-point lead before a difficult mid-week clash away in Brazil.
Brazil, currently second, visit Uruguay tomorrow. The focus of Brazilian worry ahead of the game was the strong attack around European Golden Boot Diego Forlan.
“The Uruguay attack is very strong and very fast. Their attackers move very easily, opening spaces,” Brazilian coach Carlos Dunga said.
However, defender Lucio said they have the potential to handle any threat.
“We are ready. Our defensive sector is also very strong and it has already been tested a lot in these qualifiers. We know Uruguay’s attacking qualities, but Brazil will succeed to defend itself,” he stressed.
Dunga refused to discuss the upcoming Confederations Cup in South Africa, which Brazil are set to play later this month as the winners of the most recent edition of the Copa America, alongside the likes of Italy or Spain.
Argentina will seek to leave behind the embarrassing 6-1 defeat in Bolivia in April when they host Colombia Saturday. Albeit at high altitude, the thrashing in La Paz was a humiliating experience and the side coached by Diego Maradona will want to put it safely behind them before traveling to Quito — again at high altitude — midweek.
“The thing in Bolivia hurt me a lot. Suddenly the shelf falls down on you,” Maradona described the feeling this week.
The players also want to redress course as soon as possible.
“The thing in Bolivia affected us all and after a result like that we want to get our own back right away,” said defender Martin Demichelis.
Lionel Messi was focusing on national team duty just days after winning his historic treble of Champions League, La Liga and King’s Cup at the club level.
“Winning the World Cup would be bigger than what I achieved with Barcelona. The World Cup is the greatest ambition for a player, so hopefully I can win it some day,” Messi said.
Argentine media keep stressing that the striker, who is according to most observers the most likely choice for the FIFA World Player of the Year 2009 and the Ballon d’Or, has so far failed to perform with the national team at the level he regularly displays with Barcelona.
And Maradona appeared to agree with reporters.
“I need Messi to not get lost in the match, to be participative, to be there always. When he does not play, the team drops, loses steam,” he said.
Further from the positions that give access to the World Cup, Bolivia were hosting Venezuela tomorrow and Peru were hosting Ecuador Sunday.
Paraguay top the table with 24 points in 12 games, followed by Brazil on 21 points and Chile on 20. Argentina were on 19, while Uruguay remained fifth with 17 points.
In South America’s World Cup qualifiers, each of the 10 sides plays each of the other nine teams at home and away. The top four win a place in the event. The fifth-placed team has a chance to advance through a play-off against a team from the North and Central American and Caribbean region.
The 14th round of the South American qualifiers was set to be played Wednesday, with the games Ecuador-Argentina, Colombia-Peru, Chile-Bolivia and Venezuela-Uruguay, as well as highlight Brazil- Paraguay.
