Gross wealth is no longer available from betting companies with a tip on a draw between chile and ecuador at the end of the world cup qualifiers in sud america. The odds for a draw are vanishingly small at the leading bookmakers.
No wonder, since the teams in third and fourth place with 25 points each stand to win a direct ticket to brazil 2014 if the points are shared in santiago de chile. In view of this constellation and with a view to the difficult task against argentina, who have already qualified for the world cup, uruguay (22 players) will probably have to prepare for the playoffs against jordan.
The goal difference is currently against the "urus", who finished fourth at the 2010 world cup in south africa and are the reigning champions of the copa america. It would not be a new situation for the two-time world champions. In the past three world cup eliminations, uruguay has already had to make the playoffs, twice with a good ending.
At least uruguay won’t be facing the strongest argentine team in the prestige duel in montevideo. Lionel messi, gonzalo higuain, javier mascherano and fernando gago missing due to various injuries. Angel di maria and sergio aguero will also be given a rest on the last matchday by coach alejandro sabella, according to press reports. The argentinians can afford it, after all, with 32 points they have secured their world cup ticket for a long time, as the third south american representative besides host brazil, colombia had qualified at the weekend.
Ecuador, meanwhile, can look forward to their third and chile’s ninth appearance in a world cup finals. However, the two teams do not want to do things together, as chile’s gary medel emphasizes: "it will be a matter of life and death for 90 minutes. We want to take the last step and play for three points. We’re not playing for a draw. "The chileans had their world cup ticket snatched away from them in barranquilla on friday when they lost 3:3 to colombia after leading 3:0. But the balance of play against ecuador is in favor of the hosts: in the last nine qualifying matches against ecuador in santiago, the chileans have won seven and drawn two.
Colombia, second in the table with 27 points, has secured a world cup ticket for the first time in 16 years. The meeting with paraguay, which is currently penultimate with twelve points – has only statistical value. Absolutely irrelevant in terms of qualification is the match between peru (14) and last-place bolivia (11) in lima. Venezuela has no game and finishes sixth with 20 points.