It's easy to see Argentina is struggling, but the rest are about on par IMO. Brazil are playing really good and clicking. I am just hoping it continues into next year. Some of the combination plays today was outstanding.
There are only 4 points between #2 Colombia all the way to #6 Ecuador, and only 2 from Colombia to #5 Argentina. CONMEBOL has had a very tough competition. Chile has had ups and downs, but its 2 Copa wins weren't accidents. Its destruction of Venezuela tonight was no farce. Venezuela is no Germany or Italy, but Chile was hungry and they showed it. Colombia won in Ecuador and Uruguay, despite its 2 losses this month, has been a good team. As you said, I hope Brazil is this good come Russia 2018. It's been a very long time since watching our team play gave me so much enjoyment. Not even under Dunga's first stint, when we rarely ever lost.
Got a second yellow for not listening to the ref and continuing the play after the referee had already said there was a handball.
I have nothing to reply, congrats. As argentine I have also to say that I'm scared with the prospect of Peru arriving to the monumental within 3 points reach of us. As contradictory as it sounds, I'd rather have Ecuador beat you to kill your chances before that game. Hope we get a coach change in these 6 months regardless.
5 partidos y sólo pude ver Perú-Uruguay... Polémica la mano cobrada, qué se yo... Pero bueh. El cabezazo de Godín picó claramente afuera. Se quejaron en esa misma jugada de una mano, pero la TV no repitió. Más allá de eso, partidazo. Y Luis Suárez y Paolo Guerrero en una misma cancha, qué lujo. Consulta: Algún entrenador de los 10 equipos en la cuerda floja además de (OJALÁ) Bauza?
Best team in the world right now. When people were going on and on about how it was going to take Brazil years and years to recover from being so shitty up until about 2015, I was one of the few that wasn't buying it. When you have that much quality, it's just a matter of finding the right system, coach or environment. They seem to have done just that and they're absolutely rolling. They're above Germany or France right now.
I'd actually still put Germany above Brazil. Brazil have been great but Germany strike me as a side that will play poorly against the weaker teams and win. Then they'll play the stronger sides and win by 5. They also have a better team overall. ------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding our game, I'm seeing a lot of people say we are in the fight and honestly despite how well we are playing right now, I still don't think we will qualify. I think our start really killed it for us. I would like to finish 6th though so we could prove something. If we're not going to qualify for the World Cup then at least let us finish as high as possible because we deserve it. 3 losses in the last 12 is very good for our standards. I believe we'll get the last 6 points at home (vs Bolivia and Colombia) and we'll narrowly miss out.
Congrats BOLIVIA with your win over Argentina, you are the new Un-Official Football World champions http://www.ufwc.co.uk/2017/03/bolivia-take-ufwc-title-from-argentina/
Brazil is dominant and I say that because the other teams have improved and the gap between 2nd and 8th is 6 points.
I am so happy Colombia is grinding out results even though some people around here think they are playing horrible futbol. If playing horrible constitutes as 2nd place with 4 games to go, sign me up for more horrible.
Lots of points to consider after this round. Let’s set thing straight. It was not Chile that accused Messi before FIFA. Venezuela is playing very well, think if they keep growing they have a decent chance in the following Copa América. They deserved that second goal, should have ended 3-2. Peru still has a chance, although difficult. Brazil is unstoppable, good thing Chile played them in the first round (and last). As for Chile, we might have a good chance to take out Ecuador or Paraguay in the following rounds. Bolivia won’t go into the world cup, but they will cause problems for everyone. Argentina has it tough, but I think they will classify nonetheless.
Brazil will not want to lose at home and tarnish it's unbeaten record. Don't count on an easy time even if we have nothing to play for in the last round.
I agree. Both Germany and France are above us. Germany, for obvious reasons. France has had more success for a longer stretch of time. Our success is a relatively short sample size, but it's been very promising to say the least. I also think France will continue to get stronger in the future with their current pipeline of young footballers...
Especially with Tite as coach. He will tolerate no relaxation. He may deploy hybrid squads for observating and tests, but he will seek a win every time. And if Argentina needs a Brazilian win over Chile on the final match to get in as 3rd or 4th (or even the playoffs), Argentina will not need worry Brazil might throw the match to harm Argentina. Brazil will want to defeat Chile - Brazil is undefeated all-time at home in WCQ and Brazil wants it to remain that way.
I am not counting for it to be easy, would be foolish of me. However, I do count for the game to be easier if he decides to put bench players. Now, even with those players, Brazil would be favorites by a large margin.
Care to re-run the numbers on this? Argentina without Messi: 6 points out of 18 = 33% of points (Messi missing yielded the following results: loss vs Ecuador, Paraguay tie, Brazil tie, win vs Colombia and Vzla tie) Brazil without Neymar: 7 points out of 12 = 58% of points (Neymar missing yielded the following results : loss vs Chile, win vs Vzla, tie vs Paraguay, win vs Vzla Colombia without James: 7 points out of 12 = 58% of points (James missing yielded the following results : win vs Peru, Loss vs Uruguay, tie vs Uruguay, win vs Paraguay) Uruguay without Suarez: 9 points out of 15 = 60%% of points (Suarez missing yielded the following results : win vs Bolivia, win vs Colombia, Loss vs Ecuador, win vs Chile, loss vs Brazil). So looks like Brazil is just as dependent on Neymar as Colombia is with James and Uruguay with Suarez.....
And if Brazil reaches that last match date having won all their remaing matches before it, they might go into that last match needing only a win, to achieve the all-time best Conmebol qualifier campaign, since the all vs all format started (current record holder : Argentina's 2002 WC campaign, where they got 43 points). Not such a big prize, but I believe Brazil would still want it.
The problem is, regardless if Brazil wants to win or not, that if you're suspended in the last match of qualifiers it carries to the world cup. Remember last world cup Mandzukic couldn't play for Croatia and in 2002 Chilavert after he spat on Roberto Carlos face.