Mariana Bazo / ZUMA Wire / imago
On the up: Peru v Paraguay (Lima, 29/03/2022)
In South America, the so-called Eliminatorias, the World Cup qualifiers of the continental football association Conmebol, came to an end on March 29 with a double match day. On March 25, the penultimate day of the game, Uruguay qualified at Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario in a six-point game against Peru (1-0 thanks to a goal at the end of the first period by Giorgian de Arrascaeta, who played for Flamengo Rio de Janeiro).
The Eliminatorias had been bumpy for the Urus. Only the change from cult football teacher Óscar Washington Tabárez to Diego Alonso put the Charrúas back on track and on course for the World Cup. The two-time world champion has long since re-established himself there as a permanent guest. The small country on the Río de la Plata has fewer inhabitants than Berlin, but the number of football talents it produces seems endless. Ecuador also closed the sack, despite a rather embarrassing 3-1 defeat in Asunción to long-eliminated Paraguay, who have seen better days and are once again absent from a World Cup. They have exquisite players with brilliant qualities, but the team lacks unity, discipline and, above all, human capital in the midfield regions. The individual parts of the team do not come together. Ecuador benefited from the defeats of Peru and Chile (0:4 at the Estádio do Maracanã against Brazil).
Argentina and Brazil had already qualified for Qatar a long time ago. So on Wednesday night (CET) it was all about who would reach the play-off match in Doha in June (for the first time without a rematch and on a neutral pitch) against the representative of the AFC (Asia) association, who would either play the United Arab Emirates or Australia will be called. Peru, Colombia and even the slackers from Chile still had chances. As for the Chileans, I warned even before the Russia World Cup that they need to start a rejuvenation process. You didn’t do it and now you’ve got the receipt. In the Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo in Santiago de Chile, the team of Urus Martín Lasarte (discoverer of Antoine Griezmann) lost 0:2 after two late goals from Luis Suárez (79th) and super talent Federico Valverde (90th) and is allowed to recover in the November/December lounging by the pool.
Klopp’s pal Reinaldo Rueda’s Colombians did what they had to do: take their last chance and score a three-pointer at Red Lanternist Venezuela. Actually not a big deal. Brazil 2014 star James Rodríguez scored the only goal of the game with a penalty in added time in the first half. There really isn’t much more to report.
Ever since Argentina’s Ricardo “Tigre” Gareca took charge of Peru’s selection, the Inkakicker’s kicking game has experienced an unprecedented upswing. Gareca qualified the White-Reds for a World Cup again in 2018 after 36 years, and things are looking very good this year too. They needed a win against Paraguay at the Lima National Stadium, which was enough for the play-offs on their own. The crowd was wild and Peru made everything clear before the break, while Paraguay didn’t stand a chance the whole time and couldn’t be envied. After just five minutes, Christian Cueva put the Turin-born Gianluca Lapadula into play with a wide, brutally accurate pass, who netted the penalty spot against the right inside post. After 42 minutes, Yoshimar Yotún made it 2-0 with a grandiose, unstoppable side kick. The goal was preceded by some artistic delicacies, a sheer feast for the eyes.
Gareca has long been a folk hero in Peru. His compatriot Gustavo Alfaro now has the same status in Ecuador. The ex-coach of Boca Juniors from Buenos Aires has qualified the “Tri” for his fourth World Cup (most recently in 2014) and triggered an unprecedented enthusiasm for football in the country. The game against American champions Argentina started with a shower of gold from the stands and ended with a controversial hand penalty in favor of Ecuador in injury time, which saved the Alfaro boys a point (1:1) (only in the margin) and made the fiesta perfect for the hosts . Meanwhile, Argentina are unbeaten in 31 matches (21 World Cup qualifiers) and are clear favorites for the title in Qatar, alongside Brazil, who beat Bolivia 4-0 on the La Paz level.
