Teams Entered in Qualfiying: 9 (Brazil qualified automatically as host)
Spots Allocated by FIFA: 4.5 + Host
Number of Rounds:1 + Intercontinental Playoff
Number of Matches Played: 74
Goals Scored: 206
Top Goal-Scorer: 11 Goals; Luis Suarez (URU)
South American Countries Previously in Cup Finals: 9
Most Appearances: Brazil (20; Only team to appear in every World Cup)
Best Finish: 9 World Titles amongst 3 nations: Brazil (5; 1958, '62, '70, '94 and '02), Argentina (2; 1978 and '86), Uruguay (2; 1930 and '50)
INTRODUCTION
The most straight-forward of all continents, the 9 teams entered in qualifying were placed in a single 9-team group. The group played a double round-robin, with the top 4 teams qualifying directly for the World Cup. The 5th-placed team advanced to an intercontinental playoff against the 5th-placed team in Asian qualifying.
ROUND 1 (October 2011-October 2013)
The format of South American qualifying makes my typical format completely impractical, unless people want me to summarize 72 games at once. The final standings are at the bottom of this section. I've broken this breakdown up though to make things easier to understand and to maintain my sanity. Intermediate standings have been made along the way.
October-November 2011 (16 of 72 games played)
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
+/-
|
Points
|
|
Uruguay
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
9
|
3
|
6
|
7
|
|
Argentina
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
7
|
4
|
3
|
7
|
|
Venezuela
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
7
|
|
Ecuador
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
6
|
|
Chile
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
7
|
10
|
-3
|
6
|
|
Colombia
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
|
Paraguay
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
6
|
-3
|
4
|
|
Peru
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
6
|
-2
|
3
|
|
Bolivia
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
8
|
-4
|
1
|
After 4 of 18 match days, the favourites on the continent found themselves tied on points at the top, joined by Venezuela, the lone team in South America to never qualify for a World Cup. Venezuela managed to find themselves in this position through a bizarre but ultimately successful squad selection process. Opening qualifying on the road in Ecuador, with a home tilt against Argentina looming days later, Venezuela essentially called up 2 squads of players. The first group played in Ecuador, but a second squad stayed at home preparing for Argentina, and were joined after by a core of players from the Ecuador game. The result was a fresh Venezuela squad, who rode a second-half goal by Fernando Amorebieta to a victory over the 2-time World champions.
While early in the competition, Bolivia's 1 point in 4 games showed very early that they were unlikely to be a factor in the group. The other big surprise was Paraguay with just 4 points in 4 games. Fresh off a quarterfinal berth in 2010 where they lost to a late David Villa goal for Spain, Paraguay was expected to challenge for the group lead, but found themselves trailing and having played more games then some of those they were chasing.
One other trend that was exhibited earlier and always factors in to CONMEBOL qualifying was road wins. Winning away from home is harder in South America then anywhere else in the world. Only 2 of the 16 games saw a victor away from home.
Results: Match Days 1-4
Uruguay 4-2 Bolivia
Ecuador 2-0 Venezuela
Argentina 4-1 Chile
Peru 2-0 Paraguay
Bolivia 1-2 Colombia
Chile 4-2 Peru
Paraguay 1-1 Uruguay
Venezuela 1-0 Argentina
Argentina 1-1 Bolivia
Uruguay 4-0 Chile
Colombia 1-1 Venezuela
Paraguay 2-1 Ecuador
Colombia 1-2 Argentina
Ecuador 2-0 Peru
Chile 2-0 Paraguay
Venezuela 1-0 Bolivia
June-September 2012 (32 of 72 games)
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
+/-
|
Points
|
|
Argentina
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
15
|
6
|
9
|
14
|
|
Colombia
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
12
|
6
|
6
|
13
|
|
Ecuador
|
4
|
2
|
1
|
8
|
7
|
1
|
13
|
|
Uruguay
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
15
|
11
|
4
|
12
|
|
Chile
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
12
|
13
|
-1
|
12
|
|
Venezuela
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
7
|
8
|
-1
|
11
|
|
Peru
|
2
|
4
|
1
|
9
|
13
|
-4
|
7
|
|
Bolivia
|
1
|
5
|
1
|
7
|
12
|
-5
|
4
|
| Paraguay |
1
|
5
|
1
|
5
|
14
|
-9
|
4
|
Nearly halfway through qualifying, still bunched at the top but a clear separation between the top 6 and the bottom 3 teams. Unsurprising in the case of Peru and Bolivia but Paraguay still the huge surprise. Playing 3 games in this section, Paraguay lost every game by more than 1 goal, dropping them to last place in the group. A pair of losses harmed Venezuela's efforts in this section, but they remained in touch with the front-runners of the group, but with an extra game having been played at this point.
Colombia and Ecuador were the big climbers, leaping from 6th and 4th previously to 2nd and 3rd, with both teams picking up a pair of wins in these games, both of Colombia's victories coming on the road. These gains were mostly at Uruguay's expense, grabbing just 5 of 12 points in 4 games. Chile continued with their reputation of being one of the most exciting teams in the region. In 7 games, each of their games had at least 2 goals, four of them featuring at least 4 goals.
Results: Match Days 5-8
Uruguay 1-1 Venezuela
Bolivia 0-2 Chile
Argentina 4-0 Ecuador
Peru 0-1 Colombia
Bolivia 3-1 Paraguay
Venezuela 0-2 Chile
Uruguay 4-2 Peru
Ecuador 1-0 Colombia
Colombia 4-0 Uruguay
Ecuador 1-0 Bolivia
Argentina 3-1 Paraguay
Peru 2-1 Venezuela
Chile 1-3 Colombia
Uruguay 1-1 Ecuador
Paraguay 0-2 Venezuela
Peru 1-1 Argentina
October 2012-March 2013 (48 of 72 games)
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
+/-
|
Points
|
|
Argentina
|
7
|
1
|
3
|
24
|
8
|
16
|
24
|
|
Ecuador
|
6
|
2
|
2
|
16
|
10
|
6
|
20
|
|
Colombia
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
19
|
7
|
12
|
19
|
|
Chile
|
5
|
6
|
0
|
16
|
19
|
-3
|
15
|
|
Venezuela
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
9
|
12
|
-3
|
15
|
|
Uruguay
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
17
|
21
|
-4
|
13
|
|
Peru
|
3
|
5
|
2
|
11
|
15
|
-4
|
11
|
|
Bolivia
|
2
|
6
|
3
|
13
|
20
|
-7
|
9
|
|
Paraguay
|
2
|
7
|
2
|
8
|
21
|
-13
|
8
|
The third section of games saw the beginning of 3 teams pulling away at the top, and a 3 team pileup for only 1 qualifying spot and 1 playoff spot. Peru was still in contention for the optimists but their recent qualifying history said odds were not on their side to make it through.
Different subplots followed each of the teams in the middle pack. Chile, in the fashion that has become typical for them would play an extremely aggressive style, trying to outscore their opponents regardless of what chances they might give up. Not a bad tactic in wide-open South American style of play, but the one harming their results in the long run. Venezuela was holding serve so to speak, winning or drawing their games against even or weaker competition and staying in the pack.
Uruguay on the other had was in freefall. This session for them meant 3 road losses, with their only points coming at home in a draw with Paraguay. The end of this session meant a 6-game winless streak for Uruguay. More concerning was that they had only scored 3 goals in that 6-game span. For a team that boasts attacking options like Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan, this was unheard of.
Results: Match Days 9-12
Bolivia 1-1 Peru
Colombia 2-0 Paraguay
Ecuador 3-1 Chile
Argentina 3-0 Uruguay
Bolivia 4-1 Uruguay
Venezuela 1-1 Ecuador
Paraguay 1-0 Peru
Chile 1-2 Argentina
Colombia 5-0 Bolivia
Uruguay 1-1 Paraguay
Argentina 3-0 Venezuela
Peru 1-0 Chile
Bolivia 1-1 Argentina
Ecuador 4-1 Paraguay
Chile 2-0 Uruguay
Venezuela 1-0 Colombia
June 2013-September 2013 (64 of 72 games)
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
+/-
|
Points
|
|
Argentina
|
8
|
1
|
5
|
30
|
11
|
19
|
29
|
|
Colombia
|
8
|
4
|
2
|
22
|
9
|
13
|
26
|
|
Chile
|
8
|
6
|
0
|
24
|
21
|
3
|
24
|
|
Ecuador
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
18
|
14
|
4
|
22
|
|
Uruguay
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
22
|
22
|
0
|
22
|
|
Venezuela
|
5
|
6
|
4
|
13
|
19
|
-6
|
19
|
|
Peru
|
4
|
8
|
2
|
15
|
22
|
-7
|
14
|
|
Bolivia
|
2
|
8
|
5
|
16
|
29
|
-13
|
11
|
|
Paraguay
|
3
|
9
|
2
|
15
|
28
|
-13
|
11
|
With 16 of 18 match days, the group picture became clear. Too far behind Uruguay to catch the playoff spot, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay found themselves eliminated from qualifying. 7 points clear of Uruguay, Argentina became the first team to qualify from the round, joining host and rival Brazil in the World Cup. A far cry from the struggles they experienced in 2010, led by Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain, Argentina established themselves as a favourite for obtaining their 3rd world title in Brazil. Not far ahead of 5th place were Colombia and a resurgent Chile who had won 3 of 4 games this session. They had a bit of room to breathe though as Ecuador and Uruguay still had a head-to-head matchup remaining.
For Ecuador, it was not the finish to qualifying they were looking for. A pair of road losses coupled with 2 draws, left them scrambling to secure the final automatic qualification spot that looked to be a lock earlier in qualifying. Having won all 3 games played in this period, Uruguay had turned its campaign around and could now threaten both Ecuador and Chile on their road to avoid going to a playoff. Also to consider was Venezuela, who was still in striking distance of the playoff spot, albeit with 1 game left and 3 points behind, they would need help to get there.
Results: Match Days 13-16
Bolivia 1-1 Venezuela
Argentina 0-0 Colombia
Paraguay 1-2 Chile
Peru 1-0 Ecuador
Colombia 2-0 Peru
Ecuador 1-1 Argentina
Venezuela 0-1 Uruguay
Chile 3-1 Bolivia
Colombia 1-0 Ecuador
Paraguay 4-0 Bolivia
Chile 3-0 Venezuela
Peru 1-2 Uruguay
Bolivia 1-1 Ecuador
Uruguay 2-0 Colombia
Venezuela 3-2 Peru
Paraguay 2-5 Argentina
Final Standings
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GF
|
GA
|
+/-
|
Points
|
|
Argentina
|
9
|
2
|
5
|
35
|
15
|
20
|
32
|
|
Colombia
|
9
|
4
|
3
|
27
|
13
|
14
|
30
|
|
Chile
|
9
|
6
|
1
|
29
|
25
|
4
|
28
|
|
Ecuador
|
7
|
5
|
4
|
20
|
16
|
4
|
25
|
|
Uruguay
|
7
|
5
|
4
|
25
|
25
|
0
|
25
|
|
Venezuela
|
5
|
6
|
5
|
14
|
20
|
-6
|
20
|
|
Peru
|
4
|
9
|
3
|
17
|
26
|
-9
|
15
|
|
Bolivia
|
2
|
8
|
6
|
17
|
30
|
-13
|
12
|
|
Paraguay
|
3
|
11
|
2
|
17
|
31
|
-14
|
12
|
Day 17 of competition put 3 games under the microscope with huge implications on the standings. The only team not sitting in a qualification/advancement position was Venezuela, who needed to win at home against Paraguay to have any chance at qualifying for the first time. Venezuela's surprising run ran out though. Paraguay, forced in to a spoiler role scored midway through the first half and despite giving up a late goal, held on to force a draw and eliminated Venezuela.
Chile's all-out attack paid dividends early against Colombia, as they raced out to a 3-0 lead at halftime. But Colombia kept working at the Chile defence, eventually causing it to crumble, scoring 3 goals themselves in the second half, including a pair of penalty kicks from Radamel Falcao. The 3-3 draw clinched qualification for Colombia, while Chile would be left to see what happened elsewhere. Ecuador/Uruguay was the feature game though, with the winner putting themselves in position to qualify directly. Playing at home in Quito, it was Ecuador who were able to withstand the dangerous Uruguayan front line and pull a 1-0 lead to take a 3-point lead on Uruguay, still in the playoff spot.
The final day, was ultimately uneventful. Uruguay fended off 2 comebacks from Argentina to pull out a 3-2 home victory and draw even on points with Chile and Ecuador. With a +0 goal differential though, Uruguay would need a blowout in their game to avoid the playoffs. A 2-0 halftime lead for Chile still had Uruguay 3 goals behind Ecuador and a Felipe Caicedo goal in the 66th minute ensured qualification for Ecuador, despite the 2-1 loss.
ASIA-SOUTH AMERICA PLAYOFF (November 2013)
5th-place finisher Uruguay advanced to the intercontinental playoff against Jordan, who finished 5th in Asian qualifying. The two teams played a 2-leg aggregate playoff, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup.
Jordan 0-5 Uruguay (0-5, 0-0)
Forced in to a playoff, Uruguay found themselves in a similar spot as Mexico, matched with a vastly overmatched opponent to get through to the World Cup. The first leg was all Uruguay, as 5 different players found the back of the net in Jordan to give the South Americans an insurmountable lead. The return leg was academic, Uruguay not willing to surrender any comeback opportunities, and qualifying comfortably in the playoff after a roller-coaster group stage for the 2010 semifinalist.
Qualifiers
Argentina: 16th Finals Appearance (11th consecutive). Champions in 1978 and '86. Runners-up in 1930 and '90. 4 other quarterfinal appearances, including '06 and '10. World Ranking: 7th
Brazil: 20th Finals Appearance (20th consecutive). Champions in '58, '62, '70, '94 and '02. Runners-up in '50 and '98. 3 other semifinal appearances. World Ranking: 4th
Chile: 9th Finals Appearance (2nd consecutive). Third place finish in 1962. Round of 16 in '98 and '10. World Ranking: 13th
Colombia: 5th Finals Appearance (Last appearance in 1998). Round of 16 in 1990 the only time advanced from Group Stage. World Ranking: 5th
Ecuador: 3rd Finals Appearance (Last appearance in 2006). Round of 16 in 2006 and Group Stage in 2002. World Ranking: 28th
Uruguay: 12th Finals Appearance (2nd consecutive). Champions in 1930 and '50. 3 other semifinal appearances, last in 2010. World Ranking: 6th
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