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| Peru's qualification to the World Cup after 34 years caused massive uproar |
The night of October 10th, 2017 was a frenzy. 5 games were being played simultaneously across the South American continent. On my laptop, I played the Colombia vs. Peru game through a (very) bad quality live stream I had found online.On my TV, I was flipping between the Argentina vs. Ecuador game, and the Uruguay vs. Bolivia game. Throughout the course of all this, I kept refreshing my twitter feed, looking for the latest score updates. You could say I was a mess that night.
But in my experiences of watching sports, no moment could ever top the feeling of relief once your country qualifies for the World Cup.
And that's what makes us unique. South American football is the most entertaining football there is. From Copa Libertadores to Copa America and CONMEBOL qualifying, you won't see a more exciting atmosphere around the world. A continent so rich with football history and passion unchallenged around the World. We're a continent that bleeds football and develops World-Class talents.
Yet, when it comes to World Cup qualifying, history and tradition go out the window. Every team must battle every match to secure their spot to the tournament. The format is simple: all 10 member countries must play each other twice (home and away) for a total of 18 games played per team. The top 4 teams qualify directly to the World Cup, while 5th place plays a knockout playoff round against Oceania's playoff team.
The head-to-head format which CONMEBOL employs is a unique style that offers much intrigue and excitement rather than other systems such as UEFA. Since South America spans only 10 countries it makes the head-to-head format possible in comparison to the 52 member states in UEFA. This causes UEFA to divide its members into "group stages", thus pairing one or two traditional European superpowers with many smaller, less talented nations, leading to a much more unexciting and boring qualification period, highlighted by larger teams traditionally dominating the weaker ones (5-0, 6-0, 7-1, etc...).
I mean, where's the fun in watching Germany consistently dominate against teams like San Marino, Norway, and Azerbaijain by 5 goals each game?
On the other hand, the unpredictability in South America adds interest and flavor to qualifiers. The balance of talent spread evenly across all countries makes each game fun to watch, and almost impossible to predict. Thus, every game is crucial and holds massive weight and dropping points
could ultimately come back to bite you in the end.
This is what makes South American football very entertaining.
Every 4 years, the race for the World Cup is always tight and comes down to the last day. Heading into the final game, the gap between 3rd place and 7th place were separated by two points. Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Paraguay held high aspirations and hopes for their countries' qualification.
- Chile faced the most danger of missing the World Cup, playing a tough game against Brazil in São Paulo, with their hopes on the line.
- Peru looked to finally end their 34-year World Cup drought, behind Paolo Guerrero and their passionate fan base.
- Colombia, on the other hand, hoped to repeat 2014's success in Brazil, led by breakout star James Rodriguez. 4 years later, James now has Falcao alongside him in the attack, and praying for a spot for Russia.
- Argentina, led by the GOAT Lionel Andres Messi, held the 6th spot and needed a crucial away win in Ecuador to avoid disaster. Anything less than a World Cup spot would be a disappointment.
- Paraguay was almost an afterthought the entire last 3 years, but being two points away from 3rd was too close for comfort.
Throughout the course of the night, Argentina demolished Ecuador (behind a Messi hat-trick of course) 3-1 to book their trip. Elsewhere, Brazil held control of the match all night and defeated Chile 3-0, thus completing their free fall out of the World Cup. Colombia and Peru played a gritty match in Lima with both countries' hopes on the line. After a controversial 1-1 draw, both teams secured their tickets to Russia in 4th and 5th place, respectively. Paraguay's shocking loss to Venezuela at home denied their place into the World Cup.
The final day was a culmination of all the excitement over the last four years. 5 teams battling it out for only 3 spots. Each match being played could decide the fate for your country. Where else in the world can you witness such passionate football?
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