The CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers kick off this week with an eye on Russia for 2018. The new World Cup cycle will once again feature all ten South American teams; the 2014 cycle only featured nine of the teams since Brazil received an automatic bid as hosts. CONMEBOL had six in the World Cup for the first time ever in 2014: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay. However, only four sides will be guaranteed World Cup berths for 2018, with a fifth having to play the winner of the Oceanic Football Conference in a play-off match for a spot in Russia.
These first two qualifying fixtures are highlighted by the fact that the biggest names in the continent will be missing games due to either injury or suspensions. Here is a look at each of the teams and their upcoming qualifiers by FIFA Ranking:
Argentina (#1) – The World Cup and Copa America runners up are seeing their window shrink in terms of what their current generation of players can accomplish on an international stage. Their present core of players will all be 30 of age or older by the time the next World Cup comes around. As they kick off their first two games, they will be without Lionel Messi who is injured and will miss the first four qualifiers. Argentina still possesses the firing power of Sergio Agüero, coming off a five-goal performance with Manchester City, as well as Carlos Tevez, Ezequiel Lavezzi and promising youngsters, Ángel Correa and Paulo Dybala. Argentina opens up against Ecuador in Buenos Aires on October 8th before travelling to Asunción to play Paraguay on October 13th. Argentina has never lost a World Cup Qualifier at home to Ecuador.
Colombia (#5) – Expectations are high for a team that has made it to the quarter-finals of both the World Cup 2014 and Copa America 2015. The team will once again be led by country talisman, Radamel Falcao, who is tied with Arnoldo Iguarán as the country’s all-time leading goal scorer with 25 to his name. Conspicuous by his absence is Real Madrid’s James Rodríguez, who is still recovering from a thigh injury and will miss the first two games of qualifiers. The team still boasts a talented line-up who mostly ply their trade in Europe with players such as forwards Carlos Bacca, Jackson Martínez, Teófilo Gutiérrez, midfielders Juan Cuadrado, Fredy Guarín, Carlos Sánchez, and goalkeeper, David Ospina. Major League Soccer’s Fabian Castillo is receiving his second national team call up, but may struggle to get on the field with all that talent currently in front of him. Colombia opens up at home in Barranquilla on October 8th against Peru, before visiting Uruguay on October 13th. Since 1999, Colombia has only lost to Peru twice; one of those losses came in a World Cup 2002 qualifier in 2001 in Bogota.
Brazil (#7) – Playing in their first World Cup qualifier since 2009, there could be some butterflies in the stomachs of players who were not members of the national team six years ago. After crashing out of the 2014 World Cup at home in the semi-finals and third place match so emphatically, plus getting bumped out of the Copa America 2015 quarter-finals in penalties, this Brazilian team has a lot to prove. The team’s biggest player, Neymar Jr., will miss these first two qualifiers due to red card suspension picked up in a loss to Colombia in Copa America. Neymar’s absence could be Douglas Costa’s introduction to the international stage; the Bayern Munich player comes into the qualifiers in top form and will be joined by Hulk, Oscar, Willian, Dani Alves, David Luiz, Marcelo and the return of Kaka, who was a late injury replacement for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho. Brazil open in Chile against the Copa America Champions on October 8th before playing their first home game on October 13th against Venezuela. Brazil has not lost to Chile since August 15th 2000, in a World Cup qualifier; since then, Brazil has won 12 and drawn two in the team’s 14 meetings.
Chile (#9) – The core squad of the Copa America championship team is back and, more importantly, eligible and healthy to play, the one exception is midfielder, Charles Aránguiz, who will miss the first two as he continues to recuperate from an Achilles injury. Alexis Sánchez and Arturo Vidal lead a team that include regulars: Jorge Valdivia, Gary Medel, Copa America Golden Boot co-winner, Eduardo Vargas, Matías Fernández, Gonzalo Jara, Mauricio Isla and Captain, Claudio Bravo. Chile proved during the Copa America that they are unstoppable in the Estádio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos where they haven’t lost since October 16th 2012 in a World Cup Qualifier against Argentina. They open their qualifying campaign at home against Brazil on October 8th before visiting Peru on October 13th.
Uruguay (#20) – The original champions and hosts of the World Cup begin their campaign in Bolivia on October 8th, with two key players missing: Luis Suárez and Edison Cavani out on suspensions. Suárez is serving his final two games from his World Cup 2014 suspension, while Cavani is serving two after his actions in the Copa America. The team will rely on veteran Christian Stuani to get the scoring chances along with Abel Hernández and youngsters, Diego Rolán, Jonathan Rodríguez and Michael Santos. Diego Godin will lead an experienced back line made up of Maxi Pereira, José Giménez, Álvaro Pereira, Martín Cáceres and Sebastián Coates, along with goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera. Uruguay open their bid on October 8th in Bolivia before going home to host Colombia. Captain Diego Godin has never played in the altitude of La Paz, so how he and his teammates adapt to the high elevation will determine what kind of start Uruguay has to this 2018 World Cup campaign.
Ecuador (#31) – New coach Gustavo Quinteros has a special place in his heart for both teams Ecuador will be pitted against to open the qualifying campaign. He is from Argentina but represented Bolivia as a naturalised citizen. He now is tasked with leading Ecuador to their first back-to-back World Cup since the 2002 and 2006 editions. After failing to get out of the group stage in World Cup 2014 and Copa America 2015, Ecuador is looking to take the next step forward as he has the team’s key striker Felipe Caicedo back after missing the Copa America with injury. Joining him will be veterans, Captain Walter Ayoví, Antonio Valencia, Segundo Castillo, Christian Noboa and Jefferson Montero. Striker Miller Bolaños will be a player to watch as he has five national team goals in just eight games, including two in the Copa America. Ecuador visit Argentina on October 8th before playing at home against Bolivia on October 13th.
Peru (#50) – Two back-to-back third place finishes in the Copa America have not translated to World Cup Qualifying success for Peru. The stakes are high for the side to at least put pressure on the big teams, and they’ll get to do just that early as they visit Colombia on October 8th and host Chile on October 13th to open up their World Cup bid. Peru’s road record during the 2014 World Cup was one draw and seven losses; they have not won a road World Cup Qualifier since May 31st 2004 in Uruguay. Veterans Claudio Pizarro, Jefferson Farfán, Juan Vargas, and Copa America Golden Boot co-winner, Paolo Guerrero, will be joined by players who did well at Copa America, such as Luis Advíncula, Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Lobatón, Christian Cueva and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
Paraguay (#61) – After finishing the 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign bottom of the table, Paraguay now get a chance to redeem themselves and start a new campaign. The team will be missing their captain, Roque Santa Cruz, who has not played for his Spanish club yet this season. However, they will have some veteran presence as Paulo da Silva, Víctor Cáceres, Nelson Haedo Valdez of the Seattle Sounders, Édgar Benítez and Lucas Barrios will all be involved in the first two games. Copa America revelation, 21-year-old Derlis González will be a player to watch for as the qualifiers proceed, while Paraguay will be auditioning a new goalkeeper since Justo Villar, was not fit enough to be called up. Paraguay visit Venezuela on October 8th before going home to host Argentina on October 13th. Paraguay and Venezuela have played six times in Venezuela for World Cup qualifiers; Paraguay have only lost one of those six, on November 8th 2001.
Bolivia (#67) – No team enters the World Cup Qualifying campaign in South America with more turmoil than Bolivia. A player strike threatened to end the national team’s start to qualifying before it even began; the federation’s President was arrested for scamming fans with a fake fund set up for a deceased fan; a new coach, Jorge Baldivieso, was appointed and went on to lose 7-0 to Argentina in a friendly while creating a rift with star player, Marcelo Martins Moreno, who promptly retired from international play due to differences with Baldivieso. That said, the team prepares to host Uruguay on October 8th and travels to Ecuador on October 13th. Bolivia will be introducing many new players to the squad during these qualifiers, however, Copa America performers Rudy Cardozo, Jhasmani Campos, and Alejandro Chumacero will form the core of the veterans on the team. Youngster Sebastián Gamarra may finally get some quality minutes. Bolivia uses their home field advantage of playing home turf games in 11,000 feet altitude, having a FIFA exemption since the rule is no higher than 3,000 feet.
Venezuela (#69) – The only team in CONMEBOL to have never qualified for the World Cup begins their attempt to do so for the first time on October 8th when they host Paraguay and then travel to Brazil on October 13th. The majority of the players for the first two games have experience performing in World Cup Qualifiers as they narrowly missed out on the play-off spot that Uruguay secured in 2014 qualifying. Long-time captain, Juan Arango, is retired from international play and in steps Tomás Rincón, who is joined by core veterans Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, Gabriel Cichero, Roberto Rosales, Franklin Lucena, Cesar and Salomón Rondón. New key players such as Josef Martínez, Ronald Vargas, Jeffrén Suárez, Fernando Amorebieta and Andrés Túñez will be key contributors as well.
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