Crucial tests for South American seven
- Paraguay-Uruguay a day’s large game
- Ecuador horde Peru in another essential meeting
- Only 5 points apart second from eighth
The South American subordinate foe for a 2018 FIFA World Cup Russiaâ„¢ could not be tighter, with a small 5 points separating second from eighth and 3 involuntary berths and a play-off place still adult for grabs.
Four of a 7 teams still in quarrel face off in a day’s large dual games, while a other 3 will try to boost their bids to make it over a line.
FIFA.com looks forward to Matchday 16 of a CONMEBOL qualifiers, a day on that nothing of those 7 sides will be means to bind their place during subsequent year’s universe finals.
The match
Paraguay-Uruguay
Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asuncion, 5 September, 20:00 (local time)
Uruguay, who distortion third on 24 points, had hopes of being some-more absolutely placed by this theatre of proceedings, yet now find themselves with small domain for blunder following a run of 4 games yet a win, their usually indicate in that time entrance opposite Argentina final Friday. Their record during a Defensores del Chaco does not enthuse most certainty either: one pull and 5 defeats in 6 visits.
Seventh on 21 points, Paraguay are full of certainty following their glorious win in Chile and know that another feat over a approach gift opposition could mortar them into a gift places. They have nonetheless to record uninterrupted wins in these qualifiers, however, not even during home.
Elsewhere
Second on 25 points, Colombia perform organisation winners Brazil, who have won 9 games in a quarrel and who have never mislaid to Los Cafeteros in 11 subordinate matches. The good thing for a Colombians is that they are a usually one of a 7 contenders guaranteed to finish a day in a tip five. Should they win, in fact, they could pledge themselves a play-off mark during a really worst, depending on how formula go elsewhere on a day. Their star male James Rodriguez is set to start.
Chile (fourth on 23 points) revisit Bolivia (ninth on 10) with their honour dented and first-choice twin Gonzalo Jara and Charles Aranguiz both suspended. La Roja have followed adult a better with a win on all yet one arise in this subordinate competition, while their record opposite a Bolivians is second to none: 7 uninterrupted victories in qualifiers, 3 of them in La Paz.
Languishing in fifth place on 23 points, Argentina need limit points from their home diversion with bottom-placed Venezuela, who are prolonged given out of a tab and are now rebuilding. La Albiceleste have not had it easy opposite anyone, however, and yet they have beaten La Vinotinto in their 5 qualifiers on Argentinian soil, they have already mislaid during home to Ecuador and Paraguay in this competition. In group news, Javier Mascherano will come in for a dangling Gabriel Mercado, while Ever Banega earnings from suspension.
The other compare involving teams still in with a possibility of subordinate sees eighth-placed Ecuador horde Peru, who distortion dual places and one indicate above them. Beaten in their final 3 matches, La Tri have never mislaid to a Peruvians in Quito, recording 4 wins and a pull in those 5 meetings to date. While Luis Caicedo and Jefferson Orejuela both lapse from suspension, they will be yet Fidel Martinez following a yellow label he picked adult opposite Brazil. Having collected 11 points from their final 5 games, a resurgent Peru acquire behind Paolo Guerrero and Renato Tapia, who comes in for a dangling Pedro Aquino.
Player to watch
Oscar Romero (Paraguay)
The 25-year-old aggressive midfielder is in a form of his life and has nailed down his place in a side. A untiring worker, he is a essential figure for Paraguay in a run-in and his eye for idea could be wilful opposite Uruguay.
Did we know?
Ecuador have a 100 per cent record in a 7 matches in that Felipe Caicedo has scored for them in Quito, a run that spans 3 subordinate competitions. One of those wins came on a highway to South Africa 2010, dual in a preliminaries for Brazil 2014 and 4 in this campaign. Can he keep a method going opposite Peru?
What they said
“Results haven’t been as bad as they could have been and that’s something we have to bear in mind in perplexing to give ourselves a lift. When things get rough, there’s always something there for we to reason on to.” Chile manager Juan Pizzi
Matchday 16 fixtures
5 September
Bolivia-Chile
Colombia-Brazil
Ecuador-Peru
Argentina-Venezuela
Paraguay-Uruguay
Article source: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2017/m=9/news=crucial-tests-for-south-american-seven-2906765.html