World Cup 2018 Qualifiers: The Cruelty of South American Football

(Baonghean.vn) - Hardly anyone would have thought that before the end of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the reigning South American champion Chile, ranked 3rd with 26 points, would be eliminated. Their replacement isArgentina, with Lionel Messi's hat-trick against Ecuador.

Coach Jorge Sampaoli was right when he said: “The biggest problem of the Argentine players lies in their mentality, not their technical skills.” If they stay calm when playing, and are themselves, the tango dancers will shine and they have done that, passing through the narrow door to Russia next summer.

Meanwhile, Chile - Copa America champion did not earn at least 1 point when leaving Brazil and had to sadly wait to watch the 2018 World Cup on the small screen. South American football is so cruel!

SaintLionel Messi

Before the crucial match with Ecuador, forced to win to get a ticket to the 2018 World Cup, all expectations and pressure were placed on Lionel Messi - the best player in the world. Argentina pushed their squad to attack right after the opening whistle, but Messi and his teammates were soon "doused with cold water" when the host Ecuador found the opening goal in the first attack.

In the first minute, from a central attack, Romario Ibarra coordinated with Roberto Ordones and then broke free to shoot diagonally past goalkeeper Romero, opening the score.

With Lionel Messi's hat-trick against Ecuador, Argentina got a ticket to the 2018 World Cup. Photo: Internet

But the Argentines are proud of having “Saint Messi” and in fact he did not disappoint the fans when he scored 3 goals, helping Argentina defeat Ecuador with a score of 3-1. In the 12th minute, Messi opened the scoring with an easy finish from Di Maria’s pass. 8 minutes later, he shined again with an unstoppable shot.

In the 62nd minute, Messi dribbled past the Ecuadorian defense and then finished with a delicate shot to complete his own hat-trick. That was also21st goalMessi in the qualifying round and becamefirst player in historyreached the 20-goal mark in South American World Cup qualifiers.

Only by witnessing the breathtaking match can you know that only Lionel Messi, with his natural talent, can perform miracles. It is true that Argentina is no longer a strong team, but the 2018 World Cup without "Saint Messi" would be much less interesting.

Sanchez sadly

Unfortunately for Sanchez and the Chilean team, the final round had to play against the host Brazil, who had already secured a ticket to Russia with a team of shining stars. All defensive efforts to find a point only helped Chile stand firm for 1 half. When the host Brazil actively pushed the tempo of the match, the away team's defense could not resist.

In the 55th minute, from a free kick by defender Dani Alves, goalkeeper Bravo failed to catch the ball, creating an opportunity for Paulinho to quickly run in and score to open the score for Brazil. Two minutes later, Gabriel Jesus easily increased the score to 2-0 for the home team, from a close-range tap-in after a cross from Coutinho.

Losing two quick goals, knowing the result was unfavorable compared to other teams playing at the same time, the Chilean team was pushed into a corner with nothing left to lose. The Copa America champion pressed forward in the following minutes, hoping to find a goal to keep alive their hope of winning a ticket to Russia.

But with the tight and reasonable play of the home team, Chile could not score against Brazil and had to receive a third goal by Jesus in the 90+3 minute, setting the score at 3-0 for Sampa.

Sanchez and his teammates sadly left the field in a match where a draw would have at least secured a play-off spot. The Copa America champions were sadly unable to attend Russia next summer.

Curtain Call

With host Paraguay losing 0-1 to bottom team Venezuela, host Uruguay beating Bolivia 4-2, while Peru was held to a 1-1 draw by visiting team Colombia, the South American region has determined the 4 official representatives: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia.

The 5th-placed Peru will play a play-off with Oceania team - New Zealand to compete for a ticket to the 2018 World Cup finals. The first leg will take place at New Zealand's home ground on November 6, the return leg on November 14.

AT