Bolivia vs Uruguay

Uruguay Aims to Secure Qualification as Bolivia Fights for Survival

Uruguay has faced challenges in their qualifying campaign since the fall but remains in a strong position to advance. Meanwhile, Bolivia is in a fierce battle to secure the playoff spot in seventh place.

Bolivia’s struggles away from home continued last week with a 3-1 loss to Peru in Lima. This defeat was particularly disappointing, as Peru had been at the bottom of the standings before the match, having managed just three goals in their previous 12 qualifiers.

Although Bolivia pulled off a shocking victory in Chile back in September—ending a 67-game winless streak in World Cup qualifying away matches—their performances since that rare triumph suggest another long wait for their next road win. Since that success in Santiago, La Verde has suffered three consecutive defeats to Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru, conceding 13 goals along the way. Their recent home draw against Paraguay has also cast doubt on their hopes of reaching their first World Cup finals since 1994.

Bolivia has been somewhat fortunate that Venezuela’s form has declined significantly. However, Chile and Peru, once considered out of contention, have re-emerged as serious challengers and are now hot on Bolivia’s heels.

With just four points separating the teams outside the automatic qualification spots, Bolivia must make the most of their home fixtures if they hope to stay in the race. The decision to play at a higher altitude in El Alto initially proved beneficial, as they secured wins against Venezuela and Colombia—despite finishing with 10 men.

Following this match, Bolivia still has home games against Chile and Brazil, but with the gap between them and direct qualification widening, the playoffs appear to be their most realistic route. However, since the playoff matches will take place on neutral ground, they will not have the advantage of playing at altitude.

Uruguay, on the other hand, has struggled in recent visits to Bolivia. Their last trip to La Paz resulted in a 3-0 defeat in 2021, while they also suffered a heavy 4-1 loss there in 2012. This suggests another tough test awaits them.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side enters the game after a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Argentina last Friday. That loss marked Uruguay’s first competitive home defeat since falling to Argentina in the previous World Cup qualifiers. Additionally, it was only their third defeat in 13 matches during the current campaign.

However, victories have been hard to come by for Uruguay recently. Since the Copa América, they have managed just one win in seven qualifiers, causing them to slide down the standings.

A strong November, in which they defeated Colombia and held Brazil to a draw, has put them on the verge of qualification. However, losing at home in South American qualifiers can be costly, given how challenging it is to collect points on the road.

Uruguay likely needs just one more victory to create enough distance from the teams outside the top six. However, a defeat in Bolivia would shrink their lead over La Verde to just four points, keeping the qualification battle wide open as multiple teams remain in contention.