It was always going to be a finely disputed contest, for as soon as Brazil was selected as the host nation – and therefore exempted the arduous qualifying process - of the Football World Cup in 2014, every national team association of the nine remaining in South America knew that they had a better chance than ever before of securing one of the 4.5 spots available to the Conmebol group.
So, with nine nations competing for 4.5 spots (the top 4 go directly through while the 5th placed team must face a two legged play off), Conmebol finds itself in the envious position of being able to potentially send more than half of its members to the World Cup. And given the changes taking place in South American football we may see new nations or teams that have not appeared at the finals for decades reaching Brazil.
Only recently in the Copa America in Argentina, we saw how the balance of power in South America has shifted and that traditionally unfashionable nations such as Peru and Venezuela are starting to make their presence felt in international fixtures. No one nation is here making up the numbers, even lowly Bolivia feel that there is another chance to make the World Cup finals.
The form team, partly due to the sparkling excellence of Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, is of course the Copa America winners Uruguay. And while Argentina seem to be misfiring at the moment, with the strength and depth of the squad that they possess, they always have to be considered favourites.
The league as it stands as of November 15 2011
Uruguay: P3 W2 D1 L0 Points 7
Argentina: P4 W2 D1 L1 Points 7
Venezuela: P 4 W2 D1 L1 Points 7
Ecuador: P3 W2 D0 L1 Points 6
Chile: P4 W2 D0 L2 Points 6
Colombia: P3 W1 D1 L1 Points 4
Paraguay: P4 W1 D1 L2 Points 4
Peru: P3 W1 D0 L2 Points 3
Bolivia: P4 W0 D1 L3 Points 1
There are several facets to more or less the same story, and it is just as one would have expected having seen the Copa America. This is going to be a hard fought qualifying process that will end up going down to the wire.
After all, for the first time in their history Venezuela defeated Argentina (1-0) in a qualifying game and then carved out a hard fought draw (1-1) away to Colombia. Bolivia took precious points from Argentina (1-1) with a cracking goal away from home by Marcelo Martins. Peru, who look to have improved dramatically in the last couple of years won their opening game in Lima (2-0) against an out of sorts Paraguay but then lost away to Chile (4-2) and then Ecuador (2-0). Colombia secured an invaluable three points in the highlands of Bolivia (2-1) but then could not defend from a winning position versus Venezuela in Barranquilla (1-1) and succumbed to a defeat versus Argentina (2-1).
With only 4 points separating positions 1 to 8 in this Conmebol qualifying group South Americans are eagerly awaiting the next fixtures in February of 2012. This is, as aforementioned, a lengthy and arduous qualifying process and games continue up until September 2013!
Richard McColl - I am a freelance writer from deepest darkest London but for the past 10 years or so I have been maintaining my extended "writing break" in ...
