The third age wins the eliminatory (Last Tango)

A pall of astonishment seems to cover the Qualifiers: Germán Cano, the lethal goalscorer of the Libertadores, does not have a selection. What a waste…! What injustice…! When all the federations search in Europe looking for some descendant of South Americans who plays ball well, Cano has no place in Argentina, where he was born and trained, nor in Colombia, where he played for five years and could be nationalized.

The Albiceleste does not have plenty of forwards, but Lionel Scaloni has the grid covered with Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez. Curiously, Argentina has plenty of performance and lacks a goal. He plays for 5 to 0 and wins by one goal, maximum two, and that’s because there is Messi (36 long years), who for nineteen years has been making up for deficiencies everywhere he plays. Lautaro is the biggest star of Italian football, captain and scorer in Inter, however he is denied in the National Team, which is why he lost the position with Julián. And this is a young man in permanent evolution, he is seven and a half points in everything, but he scores little.

(Also read: Daniel Ruiz, Millos’ title option: ‘The position in the table has no relevance’)

It’s true, Cano is days away from celebrating his 36th birthday, but most teams have great people in the area. Definitively, Cano is an honorary professor. At 18 he does everything first class. He has a perfect shot, he hits the ball fully, but, above all, he doesn’t stop it, he doesn’t delay anything, and that surprises the goalkeepers. Despite his seniority, he looks in remarkable shape. Doesn’t he deserve to play in a Copa América even if it is…? Scaloni does not show the slightest interest and Colombia even less. If Cano had a Paraguayan or Chilean great-great-grandfather he would already be wearing some of those shirts. They make the most of the resource of nationalizations. So Cano watches the selections on television.

Another case is Luis Suárez, who will wear Celeste again against Argentina next Thursday and against Bolivia on Tuesday the 21st. Marcelo Bielsa did not take into account the best Uruguayan footballer in history in the four initial matches and a national controversy was generated, but, Two months after turning 37, Lucho continues his friendship with the goal in Gremio de Porto Alegre. On Thursday he scored a hat trick against Botafogo, the leader of the Brazilian championship, in Rio de Janeiro. He is very strong and his mind, the most impressive thing about Luis Suárez, remains ambitious, voracious. We always remember the anecdote of Luis González, coach of the Nacional youth team, who signed him at the age of 14. “We played the classics with Peñarol and we laughed on the side of the field watching how he destroyed the four of the rival defense. He was already mentally a phenomenon.” When Suárez debuted in the First Division, some of his current teammates were still in diapers.

The Italian Gianluca Lapadula would return to Peru. After five and a half months out due to an ankle operation, the almost 34-year-old from Turin reappeared, scored the winning goal for Cagliari in the 2-1 win over Udinese and is ready to play against Bolivia. It remains to be seen if the enigmatic coach Juan Reynoso calls him up. The other Inca network breaker is Paolo Guerrero, that will blow out 40 candles on January 1st. “If he doesn’t get four of the six points against Bolivia and Venezuela, Reynoso will be fired,” says Peruvian journalism. The president of the Federation denied it, but the results decide, as is logical, since this is an activity in which you participate to win. And even if they got those four points, the possibility of classification would be very difficult for Peru. It would add 5 points out of 18 possible. At the end of this double day, 33 percent of the qualifying round will have been consumed. If Peru obtains the same results in the remaining two thirds it would earn 15 points. It is not classified with that. If he is fired, Reynoso could be the third coach ejected in this World Cup race.

(Also: The four teams that still have options to promote to A: the accounts)

The Colombian veteran who will play with Bolivia

Everyone assumes that they beat Bolivia. But Bolivia can bury more than one. If you just get a tie, it hurts. Bolivia has its new coach, the Brazilian Antonio Carlos Zago. He managed 15 teams and won a title, Zago: Bolivian champion 2022 with Bolívar. Because of this background they hired him, because he knew national football. As a footballer he was a class defender, Libertadores champion with Telé Santana’s São Paulo, as a coach… a mystery. There is not a single figure in Bolivia. Zago just called Jair Reinoso, 38-year-old Colombian striker, with a very strange career carved out in Argentina, China, Colombia and, especially, in Bolivia. A globetrotter. Reinoso was a driver in Miami for Bolivian magnate Marcelo Claure, president of Bolívar and owner of Spanish team Girona. Claure saw him play in a friend’s game and took him to try out for Bolívar, where he started. He is the tenth highest scorer in the Bolivian media with 166 goals. Reinoso will accompany Marcelo Martins, the historic gunboat of La Verde, 36 years old, in the attack.

Óscar ‘Tacuara’ Cardozo, now almost 41, returns to the Paraguayan National Team, called by Daniel Garnero, who had it until two months ago in Libertad. Tacuara returns because Paraguay is another one that is not fighting for the goal, it is on trial. He has a heavy background: he was the one who missed the penalty against Spain in the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup. They were 0-0, he kicked badly and Casillas stopped it. La Roja was playing badly that afternoon and, if Cardozo converted, perhaps Spain would not be world champions today.

Alexis Sánchez, record scorer for the Chilean National Team with 51 hits, turns 35 on December 19. He continues to be everyone’s top La Roja star along with Arturo Vidal (36). Continue leading the attack, Alexis. The English Brereton, a tank, has flat tires. He moved from Blackburn Rovers to Spanish Villarreal, but has not yet scored in 11 appearances and is now on the bench in a team that has fired two coaches in 12 games. Once again Alexis and Vidal must carry the flag, as always. Eduardo Berizzo, the coach, is still in the spotlight after the resounding 3-0 loss against Venezuela.

La Vinotinto, sensation of this World Cup, will try to upset Ecuador and Peru. Its greatest luminary is Salomon Rondon: He is 34 years old and has 41 international goals. He looks like a kid, he is providential in River with Miguel Ángel Borja.

Néstor Lorenzo has opted for renewal in Colombia. Not so much in age as in names. But he threatens to call Falcao again (38 shortly) for the two goals scored against Atlético Lugones, a semi-amateur team from the 6th. Division of Spain.

Ecuador, whose Spanish coach Félix Sánchez is also in question, has as its only goal card its legendary Enner Valencia, the fresh-faced 34-year-old. And he only plays in attack because no other high-level attacker has appeared to accompany him. This is the panorama of our Qualifiers. It is true that currently footballers have prolonged their careers thanks to care, a better professional attitude, and greater medical and preparation knowledge. It is also true that the goal has not been renewed. Or very scarce.

(In other news: David Alonso excites Colombia with its first world title: ‘The option is alive’)

The freshest selection in average age is, by far, that of Uruguay. Bielsa has put together a squad for two Qualifiers. However, he had to call Suárez.

Last tango…

Jorge Barraza
For the time
@JorgeBarrazaOK