Uruguay sees Bolivia with ‘obligation to add’

Bolivia and Uruguay meet on Tuesday at the height of 3,600 meters in La Paz, both teams are in water up to their necks and they fight their survival to continue to the next Qatar World Cup 2022.

The match is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. in Ecuador) at the Hernando Siles stadium and will be directed by the Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio.

Uruguay ahead of La Paz with 16 points in 13 games and, by goal difference, he is sixth, outside the classification zone, while Bolivia is in a worse situation, ninth with 12 units.

The two teams their survival in the South American zone is at stake that grants four direct tickets to the next Soccer World Cup and a fifth for the play-off against a team from another confederation.

Bolivia, with ups and downs in the pre-World Cup round, look at the numbers of their home matches against Uruguay, in which it has become strong, always appealing to the weight exerted by the altitude of the sports scene.

Of the 10 games in La Paz between the two combined, for the knockout phase since 1961, the Green has expired in 5, another four have been tied and only one in favor of Uruguay: a 2-0 in October 2015.

The trainer of Bolivia, the Venezuelan César Farías, hopes to reissue the strategy he used in the win against Peru (4-0), last October 10: pressure, backlash and greater volume of play.

It is almost a fact that the offensive creation will be at the feet of his veteran Juan Carlos Arce and the attack will be delivered to the top scorer of the qualifying rounds, Marcelo Martins, who has eight goals in his favor, over the stars Neymar (7) and Lionel Messi (6).

The steering wheel Fernando Saucedo, one of the pieces of the probable eleven, pointed out that “we have an idea embodied in each game and they (Uruguayans), with all certainty, are going to come to entrench themselves behind and it will be difficult to enter.”

They see that Uruguay accumulated three defeats in a row, the last (1-0) at home against Argentina, and they expect a mood drop: “I hope they come defeated and we can impose our rhythm.”

Forced to add

Uruguay, Oscar Tabárez’s team is one of the favorites to fly to Qatar 2022, but for now it is outside the classification zone, below Brazil (classified), Argentina, Ecuador, Chile and Colombia.

Has the obligation to obtain a good result in his promotion to La Paz, because although he improved his quality of play in his last game against the Argentines, he knows that playing well is not enough, if he does not come along with the points.

“We are obliged to add, because we have already come from three consecutive defeats ”affirmed midfielder Matías Vecino, who knows that the Hernando Siles stadium is a difficult field due to its height.

“It is something that is always said, that the ball travels much faster, it is a weapon that they use a lot there, so we had to use it ourselves, test it,” he said.

The technician Tabárez also knows of the main weapon of his rival in the altitude: “Bolivians know what those who come from the plains feel and they try to impose that and they put a lot of people forward. They have the habit of shooting from a distance, because they know the environment ”.

The star Luis Suárez would not be part of the line-up from the beginning and will be available to the helmsman, depending on the development of the meeting. (D)

Probable lineups:

Bolivia

Carlos Lampe; Rodrigo Ramallo, Marc Enoumba, Jairo Quinteros, José Sagredo, Roberto Fernández; Juan Carlos Arce, Leonel Justiniano, Fernando Saucedo; Marcelo Martins, Carmelo Algarañaz. DT: César Farías.

Uruguay

Fernando Muslera; Martín Cáceres, José María Giménez, Diego Godín, Joaquín Piquerez; Mauro Arambarri, Matías Vecino, Lucas Torreira, Nahitan Nández; Facundo Torres, Agustín Álvarez. DT: Oscar Tabárez.