According Opta Sports, a British sports analysis company, the Colombia 0 – Ecuador 0 on Thursday lasted 109 minutes, but 44 minutes and 15 seconds of net time were played. In other words, 64 minutes and 45 seconds went to the basket, they were football garbage: discussions, groping, deliberate delays, VAR, balls out, simulations, useless celebrations … All very South American, very Liberators from the ’80s. In the box, in Barranquilla, was Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, who tasted snacks and smiled as if to say “What a great game…!”. What are you going to say…? He comes to look for the votes to do the World Cup every two years, he has to hide. But what he saw of what was once the realm of good football and great players must have left him thoughtful.
The Qualifiers were never poetic, they are wars without dead; Now there are less fights and tensions than before, but it is playing ugly and badly. And except in Brazil and Argentina, there is no peace anywhere. Criticism is everywhere. There is a survey …
- Bem vindo, Raphinha…! The Leeds southpaw is Brazil’s most welcome revelation. In three games he got into the crooked and the press in his bag. Brazil is virtually classified, they have points to spare, but the enthusiasm is more due to having discovered this crack, a fine midfielder who plays on the right, with a lot of arrival at the rival goal. He entered against Venezuela when they were losing 1 to 0 and fixed everything right away with two assists. Good against Colombia (Ospina took a left-footed shot that went inside and then put a pass-goal to Antony), and two goals against Uruguay. A find for Qatar 2022.
- High harvest. Six points in September – plus the match interrupted by Brazil that will surely give them another victory on the court – and 7 in October, ten goals for and one against (from a penalty kick). With the FIFA ruling, he would go to 28, he has already secured his ticket to the World Cup. In his case, the news is two: 1) the confirmation that he found a notable defender in Cristian Romero, an extraclass with advance, remove, firmness, poise, exit, header and determination. It gives you ten years of selection. 2) The sensational performance against Uruguay, luxurious and forceful, which fuels hopes for Qatar. Although he could not repeat it against Peru.
- On track. The draw achieved in Barranquilla allowed Ecuador not to be surpassed by Colombia and to continue in an excellent position. If you get seven points of the nine that are played against Venezuela, Peru and Paraguay, you will have taken a giant step to qualify. Due to the overwhelming campaign in Brazil and Argentina and the greater number of draws in this World Cup, it is possible that it will reach with fewer points than in previous Qualifiers. Before Colombia, Gustavo Alfaro’s serious error of not aligning Alexander Domínguez with Venezuela was exposed. The long-line archer saved a point of gold. It could be the same in Caracas. The inclusion of Alan Franco is also unintelligible. What happened to Jhegson Méndez…?
- It does not win, but it goes up. Despite the general discontent, Reinaldo Rueda has been undefeated for eight games since his inauguration in Colombia, with two wins and six draws. He does not shine, he lacks generation of play and converts very little (three consecutive 0-0 against Uruguay, Brazil and Ecuador), but not losing pays for him: he slowly rose from seventh to fourth place. He has a favorable calendar left: he plays against the last four. And defensively he’s solid. In front of La Tri, the public called out to James Rodríguez, who has not played for five months. That speaks to how the team plays, much more apt to defend than to attack. Its only direct rival is Uruguay. If he scores the same points as the light blue ones, he will keep that fourth place.
- Terrible. Uruguay’s moment. He could not against Colombia at home (0-0) and then received two slaps outside against Argentina and Brazil. In Buenos Aires they gave him the dance of his life. We do not believe that in 119 years of performances La Celeste has been beaten in that way. And in Manaus he was able to receive the all-time win. Brazil created a ton of scoring situations for him. A strange, devastated, vulnerable Uruguayan team. It was “just” 0-3 and 1-4. Óscar Tabárez hid himself: “I’m not going to resign.” Among the fans it is a cry: this cycle is no more. In the leadership there are doubts about whether to respect the venerable Master or try a steering wheel that saves the classification. The World Cup brings a lot of money that is distributed between the association and the clubs.
- “Its alive…!” When they were giving him the extreme unction, Chile gave vital signs: it moved and unexpectedly won against Paraguay and Venezuela. And he refloated his illusion. But it still runs from behind and has a route ahead of it that not even the ghost train: Paraguay (V), Ecuador (L), Argentina (L), Bolivia in La Paz, Brazil (V) and Uruguay (L). Getting 13 points out of those 18 is a feat like winning the World Cup. If both reach the final match with chances, that game against Uruguay could be the Third World War.
- All wrong. Paraguay achieved a laborious and valued draw against Argentina in Asunción, but then fell without mitigating in Chile (0-2) and resoundingly in Bolivia (0-4). He was seventh and with a terrible balance of goals. A Correlon team, but without football, without offensive ideas, pure effort. Of the last eight games, in six he did not score goals; alarming inefficiency. DT Eduardo Berizzo was dismissed and a replacement is being sought. Anyone who arrives is difficult to refloat the boat, although in points it is not that far.
- The infallible remedy. There is no known tonic more healing than winning; In the midst of the great dismay of its people, Bolivia stacked two wins in a row: versus Peru (1-0) and the win over Paraguay (4-0). It has some young players who generate hope such as Jairo Quinteros (defender), full-back Roberto Carlos Fernández, midfielders Ramiro and Henry Vaca and forwards Víctor Ábrego and Carmelo Algarañaz. He equaled the line of Paraguay (12 units) and with that he dreams of fighting until the end.
- Go back ten squares. As in the game of the goose, Venezuela wasted all its evolution in this Elimination. Too many managerial misgivings (like letting Portuguese coach José Peseiro go), permanent changes of all kinds, organizational errors. A magnificent litter of wasted footballers. It is already removed. And he had the luxury of overthrowing Ecuador …