El Mundo Sports

As World Cup qualifying rolls on for South Africa 2010, the typical powerhouses in most groups around the world are qualifying as expected. With not too many surprises, I thought it seemed too normal yet again for the Brazil’s, the Italy’s, and the Holland’s to make the tournament. There had to be something unexpected. Was there a team that has a real chance, that almost never makes the tournament? Was there something exciting materializing? Who would that team be?

I decided to look at CONMEBOL (South America) in order to make sense of things. Or in this case, to make confusion of things. Stick with me here. 

The dominate teams in South America have seemingly always been Brazil and Argentina, with both teams winning the World Cup on multiple occasions. But this was not always the case. The very first World Cup in 1930 was won by non other than world power Uruguay! Ok wait…let me try that again…non other than world power Uruguay! So, maybe using the terms ‘world power’ or ‘powerhouse’ are probably not the proper word of choice for the history of that country in soccer, but let’s take a closer look at what they have been able to accomplish.

Not only did Uruguay win the 1930 World Cup, but they won it again in 1950. Well that means that it was 20 years between World Cup titles. The average soccer players career is less than 20 years, so it was probably completely different players in both tournaments. Who did they beat? In the first win, they defeated Argentina in the final. In the second win, they defeated Brazil. Wow, really? There has to be some merit there right?

The last time Uruguay made the World Cup field of 32 was in Korea/Japan in 2002, but we have to go way back to 1990 to find the last time they made if out of the first round. So, what has happened in recent years to which has cost the Uruguayans opportunities to again capture the World Cup crown?

In the last few decades, more South American countries have produced better players and sent them overseas to play in Europe. The European leagues typically have the better players and can allow them to develop quicker due to a higher level of competition. Argentina and Brazil have constantly sent players to Europe over the years, and it’s paid dividends on the International stage. Uruguay is following in the big boys footsteps as they have players in Italy, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, and Holland. It can only be a matter of time before the Uruguayans make another run.

Let’s take a closer look at there chances of qualifying for South Africa 2010. Currently, Uruguay is in 6th place, two points behind Ecuador for the very important 5th place. The top four countries automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the 5th place team plays the 4th place team from CONCACAF (North and Central America) for that final place.

There are four games (a possible 12 points) left in CONMEBOL qualification, before the teams are decided. Uruguay’s best chance of qualification is to overtake Ecuador and go to a playoff with the CONCACAF team. At this moment, they are 4 points behind Argentina and 6 points behind Paraguay, but with only 12 points up for grabs, it could be very difficult to overtake either. So, that really leaves Uruguay and Ecuador for that final spot.

Here’s where things get interesting. In the next game, Uruguay plays Peru, who is in last place and already eliminated. Ecuador plays Colombia who is only 1 point behind Uruguay and has a very real chance of qualifying. This is where Uruguay could put the heat on Ecuador and make up some ground. Unfortunately for Uruguay, they play that same Colombia team in game 2, while Ecuador play second from bottom, Bolivia.

So let’s say those games are a wash and neither one changes position. Game 3 could be for all the marbles as both teams face each other in a head to head match. This game could prove vital to both as Uruguay has to play Argentina and Ecuador plays the number two team in Chile. If things stay as they are now, all Uruguayan and Ecuadorian eyes will be stuck to the TV on October 10th as the two face off in Quito, Ecuador.

If Uruguay can accomplish the unlikely and progress to South Africa 2010, and do well in the tournament, then the term “powerhouse” won’t seem like so much of a stretch after all.

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There’s something to it, there’s gotta be! Yet it seems so innocent. The stats tell the story though. As the old adage goes: Stats Don’t Lie. Well, if stats don’t lie, then why did so many people pick the USA Men’s Soccer Team to beat Mexico as Azteca? The Americans are 0-23-1 in there last 24 games in Mexico. Enough said right? 

I just don’t really understand what the hoopla about this stadium really is. Maybe it’s because I have never played the game of soccer all over the world and had the opportunity to play at different stadiums at different altitudes with different types of screaming crazies probably throwing things when you line up to take a corner kick. That could be it. But seriously, what could it be about Azteca that has every team that walks into it, limping out calling for mommy to come and save them?

I saw Azteca first hand in the summer of 2008. It looked pretty runned down actually. The surrounding area didn’t seem so good, but I don’t know why that would be intimidating to football players who are inside the stadium. My friend and I walked around in Mexico City, including the ruins of Teotihuacan, all day before heading over to the stadium. (By the way, I highly recommend hiking up the Sun Pyramid. Quite impressive!) But I never got winded. Granted I wasn’t running solid for 90 minutes. But, I was never scared someone was going to inject me with a drug, while I was admiring Azteca, and take my kidney to sell on the black market. Nobody was mean to me because I was a foreigner. No one threatened me with a knife or called me a bad name. So, I have trouble believing it’s really the stadium. People say it’s the altitude, but several of the Mexican players arrived a few days ago as well, so it’s not like they were fully adjusted.

My only inclination is to say that, after a long spell on the sidelines, El Tri have arrived!

If anyone watched the same game I did, they should have seen how the Mexicans ran circles around the Americans and kept the ball for what seemed like an eternity. The Americans didn’t seem tired. They seemed clueless. As soon as the US team got the ball back, the Mexicans had a player on the spot to return the favor. Young, pint-sized playmaker Giovani dos Santos looked like the next big star everyone is saying he is, as he cut the Americans defense in half with his passing and dribbling. The Mexican midfield completely controlled the game, and was able to get the ball to the forwards at will. It surely didn’t look like the US team that so many people said were on a high after the Confederations Cup success and should win against Mexico for the first time ever in Mexico.

At one point during the halftime show, an anchor (who happened to be an ex US team member) actually said that the Americans “had the Mexicans where they wanted them.” Really? At Azteca? In the swealtering heat? In the smog that everyone says kills your lungs? Yes, the score was 1-1. Yes, the Americans were fighting like they always do. But where they wanted them? Wouldn’t you say that if you were winning like 3-0 and doing it on home soil? Not only were they not where they wanted them, but the Americans couldn’t catch the Mexicans in the second half. If he honestly thought it was a good performance by the Americans than I either have higher hopes for a team I thought was better technically, or Azteca really is the circle of footballing hell.

Well, I guess stats really don’t lie do they.

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