Let’s not go around, those five from the title are going to the World Cup. We are continually asked who classifies. Those go. Sixth…? He may be between Paraguay and Venezuela. “But a date was just played and there are eighteen…” they reply. Yes, but it is the perception that the previous friendlies and the opening day leave us, the game of each one, the squad they have, their coach. The most beautiful tournament began, the one with the greatest competitive tension, the only one that does not confer a title on the winner. And the most difficult in the world: the South American Qualifiers. What did we see at the start of the Qualifiers…?
Abundance
The one from Brazil. Without Vinicius (injured), Antony (reported for assaulting his ex-girlfriend) and Paquetá (investigated for an irregular betting plot), he sent Rodrygo, Raphinha, Neymar and Richarlison to the field. They beat Bolivia: 5 to 1. And they had Gabriel Jesús and Gabriel Martinelli, both from Arsenal, left in the chamber. We are talking about six attackers with goals, creativity and power. When you have such an endowment it is impossible not to get a ticket. Behind, Eder Militão and Thiago Silva were missing, but Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes were there. Ederson went to the goal and Alisson to the bench.
Brazil faces the Qualifiers with interim coach. And if he played without a coach it is the same, it is always Brazil.
(Also read: Rafael Santos Borré: the Commander, determined to score goals for the National Team)
Revolution
That of Marcelo Bielsa in Uruguay. He is tearing down a wall worse than the Berlin wall: 120 years of a way of watching, playing and interpreting football. Far from the historic harsh, defensive and ground-breaking game of Uruguayan football, the coach left out Suárez, Cavani and the other references of the Tabárez era, put together a very young team, with an average of 23 years old, and left his stamp on them. “My style is to attack,” the man from Rosario once said. And Uruguay came out with a fixed bayonet. Quick start from the back, quick transfer with long passes in the middle, opening to the ends and arrival with a lot of people. The blue boys caught the idea and swept Chile 3 to 1. Several new names in Uruguay will soon be known.
Unusual
The small amount of public at the Centenario stadium to witness what could be a new era, that of Bielsa: barely 28,000 spectators. If Uruguay is already the most expensive country in South America, the tickets were overpriced and people abstained. But the team aroused enormous enthusiasm, even in the media, and the next home date will surely be full.
Revolution II
The one from Colombia, with Néstor Lorenzo. We foresee that he will have a good World Cup and will arrive calmly at the finish line. It will not be a Colombia with superheroes. There are no more Valderramas, Asprillas, Willingtons, Valencias, Falcaos. Instead, it will be a team marked by efficiency. More defensive security, also rapid transit through the middle and mobility. There are no bright names and they are still lacking scorers, they will surely score through elaboration and it could be anyone. In the 1-0 over Venezuela it was Borré, on Tuesday it could be another. Colombia has played 9 games with Lorenzo, eight friendlies and this one for points. He goes undefeated. The numbers don’t say everything, but they do tell something.
Distinct
The different player from Colombia, clearly, is Luis Díaz, a real crack at Liverpool. However, he is missing the consecrating match in the national team, one that breaks everything. Against Brazil or Argentina, one with three goals, one who wins alone, one who turns it around. Something like that. He plays well, he has converted, he lacks that. And he has already worn the yellow jersey for 40 years.
One more time…
Messi. It is incredible that a player has been dazzling for 19 years and scoring goals twice a week, football has never seen that. Neither with Maradona nor with Pelé. Without it being his crowning night, he once again defined a match that was complicated for Argentina. As Nico Estévez, Spanish coach of Dallas FC in the United States, pointed out, “A free kick for Messi is equivalent to a penalty for the other players.” The barrier seemed like a crowd, but he still put it next to the post and Argentina won 1 to 0. Maradona told him in 2010, when he urged him to take set pieces: “In the free kick, if the ball passes between the heads of the first and the second type of barrier is a goal.” That’s exactly where the ball passed. At 36 years old he defines the games even walking. And it was his 12th game in 48 days, with trips in between, without having done preseason, changing country, club, tournament. What does not change is its brutal effectiveness.
(Also: This is how the South American qualifying table goes)
Weight
The one that Moisés Caicedo will have to endure from now on, the record transfer in the entire history of the Premier League: 144.5 million dollars for a blocking midfielder. Something that seems completely unreasonable. On each trip to the field they will look at it and evaluate it according to that value. It is an element that plays forty or fifty meters from the goal, it has no goal or pass-goal, it does not stand out for its finishing. He was in charge of controlling Messi. And he didn’t do it wrong. But near the end he made a mistake, an unnecessary foul on Lautaro Martínez on the edge of the area when Martínez had made a backward pass. He was late and stepped on it. From the free kick, Messi scored and Argentina won. He had already passed him in two games at Chelsea.
Approved
Despite the defeat, Ecuador once again showed the emotional fiber of its troops, the physical strength and the quality of its defenses. And it should be noted that the best of those at the back was missing: Piero Hincapié. He played a very worthy game against Argentina, although he did not finish on goal, he lacked offensive volume. But he has the makings of a good team. Lionel Scaloni was very complimentary of the Tricolor: “Let’s not believe that Ecuador is a normal team, because it is one of the best.” And that’s how the entire continent sees it. Still, it will have to lift the 3 points less it has due to sanction. And now it A very intonated Uruguay comes to him.
Deserved
Argentina’s triumph. It was difficult, but she looked for it from beginning to end. He had six goal situations – plus the goal – against none of his rivals, who were waiting for him behind. He wanted to win and please the 85,000 fans who came to see the champion. But the Albiceleste did not shine, it is difficult to do so against a team that is so physically strong from the middle to the back and that buckles. Although it doesn’t hurt offensively. At least not this time.
Sticks
“Golden point”, “Notable tie”, “Con ten”… The titles in the Lima press referred to the Peruvian National Team. Very effusive. And they don’t lie. But they hide. They hide the gale that was Paraguay. Six shots on the posts and five or six miraculous blocks by Gallese (or very miraculous), eleven corners against versus one in favor of Peru, 60% possession by Paraguay (which seemed more than that…), 19 Guaraní shots per 5 from Peru… Juan Reynoso’s new team arrived in Ciudad del Este – where it was played – without six starters: Lapadula, Cueva, Aquino, Callens, Zambrano, Édison Flores. Anyway, it was very overwhelmed. And on Tuesday they host Brazil…
Push
Paraguay, it should be emphasized, poured onto the grass an irrepressible desire to start winning to end the streak of missing three World Cups. And he did everything for it, except the goal. It was his sin. But he had an unbearable intensity at times. La Albirroja looked like Johan Cruyff’s Clockwork Orange, attacking by air, sea and land. We will see what Paraguay is compared to other rivals. And a player to follow: the young left forward Ramón Sosa (Talleres de Córdoba is going to get many millions for him). He was driving Advíncula crazy on the left. The Boca side gave him two terrible blows and he was sent off.
Last tango…
Jorge Barraza
For the time
@JorgeBarrazaOK
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