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Thursday, March 24, 2022

Bolivia, almost out of the game, to face a needy Colombia in Barranquilla

 The match will be played this Thursday (19:30 Bolivian time) at the Metropolitano stadium. The Cafeteros are obliged to win to keep their chances of qualifying for the World Cup Qatar 2022. Facundo Tello, from Argentina, will be the referee.

Bolivia, almost hopeless, will visit Colombia this Thursday (19:30 Bolivian time), which is obliged to win to maintain its chances of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.  

On the bench of La Verde (15), Venezuelan coach César Farías is betting on the "fresh energy" of the young players, given the "minimal possibility" that his team has of going to the World Cup and the absence of Marcelo Moreno Martins, the scorer of the qualifying round, due to suspension.  

Farias is looking for reasons to motivate a Bolivia that is practically out of the World Cup fight.

"We are two results away from Bolivia's best qualifying campaign in this format," said the coach, who included several U-23 players in his squad, including Ramiro Vaca (Beerschot/Belgium), who scored a goal in the current qualifying campaign.

"We can play well, badly, regularly, draw, win or lose, but we are not going to give ourselves away, as many might think: we are going with our best," Farias told the newspaper El Tiempo. 

The Venezuelan has dispensed with several regulars such as goalkeeper Carlos Lampe, midfielders Juan Carlos Arce and Fernando Saucedo.

Striker Moreno Martins will not be available for the match in Barranquilla, but was called up to close the qualifying round at home against Brazil.  

 Colombia must win

On the Colombian side, a goal drought has left the dream of the World Cup in the hands of others. They are obliged to win at home against an almost hopeless Bolivia, although the tricolor will be watching Uruguay, Peru and Chile, who are ahead of them in the race to Qatar 2022. 

On the verge of sinking, Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda takes on the last two dates of the South American pre-World Cup without major changes in front of a core of players who have gone seven games without a win (4 draws - 3 defeats) and without scoring - with the notable absence of Radamel Falcao due to physical problems.

From the Estadio Metropolitano de Barranquilla, the Cafeteros (17 points) will be hoping for a draw in Montevideo, where they will simultaneously face Uruguay (22) and Peru (21). They are also hoping that leaders and already qualified Brazil (39) will trip up Chile (19).  

 - Crisis and "faith

With Ecuador (25 points) about to join Argentina and Brazil in the trip to Qatar, the door is too narrow for the Uruguayans, Peruvians, Chileans and Colombians. 

The Cafeteros are trailing in the fourth-team race for the last direct ticket to the World Cup and another place in the playoff against a team from another continent. 

The fans are hoping that their new star Luis Diaz (Liverpool/England) will rescue them from the crisis unleashed by the unusual goal drought and the recent defeats against Peru and Argentina.

But dropping points against Bolivia would mean Rueda's second elimination in a pre-World Cup with his country's national team, after missing out on a ticket to Germany 2006. 

"I still don't think about not being in the World Cup, I have faith," Boca Juniors left back Frank Fabra, one of the few variants in the list presented by the former Chilean coach, told the media.

Strikers Luis Muriel and Alfredo Morelos, who performed well in the round of 16 of the Europa League with Atalanta and Rangers respectively, look like Rueda's last bets to avoid his second fall on his way to a World Cup.

Probable lineups:   

Colombia: David Ospina - Juan Cuadrado, Carlos Cuesta, Davinson Sanchez, Johan Mojica - James Rodríguez, Wilmar Barrios, Mateus Uribe, Luis Díaz - Luis Muriel, Alfredo Morelos. Coach: Reinaldo Rueda

Bolivia: Ruben Cordano - Jose Maria Carrasco, Sebastian Alvarez, Jose Sagredo - Marc Enoumba, Roberto Fernandez, Moises Villaroel, Richard Spenhay - Ramiro Vaca, Cesar Menacho - Bruno Miranda. Coach: César Farías. 

Argentine Facundo Tello will be the referee.

Bolivia vs  Colombia in Barranquilla

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