March 21 to April 3, 2022 (World Cup Qualifiers [CONMEBOL])

A Chapter by Steve Clark

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2022.

March 21 to April 3, 2022 (World Cup Qualifiers [CONMEBOL])

World Cup Qualifiers

The showdown for Qualification for Qatar 2022 came down to the final Match Days in South America. Brazil needed a win to guarantee qualification against Venezuela, while a win for the away side would keep them in the hunt. Neymar however, helped his side take charge as they dominated across the park, chipping away at the Venezuelan defence until the talisman chipped the goalkeeper for the opening goal. Lucas Paquetá then bundled a loose ball from a corner into the back of the net right before the break. Venezuela took the approach of counterattacking in the second half, only to be thwarted by offsides. Salomon Rondón did manage a goal back in the 69th minute, though it was not enough. Venezuela bowed out of contention for Qatar, while Brazil secured their place in the World Cup with a game to spare.

After hearing of the Brazil-Venezuela result, Bolivia and Ecuador played a scoreless draw, where the match was open, though decent touches in the final third for both sides were lacking.

A week later, despite being a man down against Brazil due to a Felix Torres last-man tackle, Ecuador managed to take the lead into the break via Jordy Caicedo. Neymar saved face with an additional time goal right at the death to end the match 1-1.

Argentina flew to Bolivia to see out a scoreless draw, where both sides had chances, and the only real highlight was Henry Vaca’s double yellow card.

Argentina, with no losses in the Qualifiers, and Brazil now prepare for Qatar at the end of the year.

	CONMEBOL WCQ Gr A	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Argentina	8	5	3	0	18	+5
2	Brazil	8	4	2	2	14	+3
3	Ecuador	8	2	2	4	8	0
4	Venezuela	8	1	4	3	7	-1
5	Bolivia	8	0	5	3	5	-7

In Group B, Uruguay had to defeat Chile to have any chance of making it beyond the Qualifiers after two bad performances at the end of last year. Chile only needed a draw from one of their final two games. Rodrigo Bentancur, an unlikely hero for Uruguay, headed home in the eighth minute. From there, Uruguay attacked, hoping a second goal would secure the three points. However, Chile hit the woodwork three times, including both posts in the same passage of play. The luck was on the Uruguayans side, though a second in the second half was a must. Bentancur crossed to Cavani, who hit the crossbar with his header. From there, though, Uruguay held on for their final game for the three points and sat awaiting the results of the other three matches.

Colombia hosted Peru, with a draw only needed after the Uruguayan match to solidify a spot in the 2022 World Cup. However, Peru had other ideas, taking the lead twice in the match. First, Andre Carrillo opened the scoring, while Rafael Borré proved why he is in the Colombian squad, not just to play second fiddle to the revamped Falcao. However, John Stefan Medina touched the ball last in a kerfuffle in the box, and as the ball crossed the line, Colombia knew they needed another goal. Substitute Juan Quintero stepped up to the plate in the 89th minute, heading the corner kick low and out of reach of a diving Peruvian goalkeeper. From there, Colombia held on for the vital point.

The following week, Paraguay and Peru played out a scoreless draw to round out their campaigns, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

Chile hosted Colombia in the final Group B match, with the winner taking top spot, while a draw would leave Colombia on top thanks to goal difference. Chile simply had to not lose by a margin of seven or more to ensure their qualification for the World Cup. It soon became a showdown between Radamel Falcao and Alexis Sánchez. Both scored in the opening stanza, before Chilean Jean Meneses finished off Sánchez’s shot that hit the post. Being 2-1 up, Chile played for the win, only to have Falcao upend that notion in the 75th minute. Chile ramped up the same pressure that had brought them two goals in quick succession (21 shots at goal in total), only to miss at vital times. The final match ended 2-2, with Colombia taking top spot in the group.

Nevertheless, Colombia and Chile prepare for the tournament at the end of the year in Qatar.