Can Colombia conquer Bolivia’s mountain fortress?

Al Cameron October 9, 2024

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Can Colombia conquer Bolivia’s mountain fortress?

As we head into CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers match week 9, Colombia travel south to the landlocked country of Bolivia. The match will be played at Estadio Municipal El Alto, on the outskirts of the capital, La Paz.

In the past, Bolivia has been accused of having an unfair advantage in their home matches due to the altitude, which is a staggering 4,100 meters above sea level, hosting the highest football games in the world. Visiting players have complained about the lower oxygen levels, with some even resorting to using oxygen tanks to cope with the deficit. Concerns even led to FIFA banning international matches played above 2,750 meters in 2008; however, this was later scrapped following Bolivia’s objection.’

As most of Bolivia’s players ply their trade in the domestic league, they are well calibrated for the conditions. Underdogs on paper, never underdogs at 4,100 meters.

Fast forward to this year, Colombia is flying high in the qualifying table, currently in second place, two points behind world champions Argentina. Liverpool wide-man and national hero Luis Díaz is his country’s top scorer so far with three goals, placing him joint second overall, just behind his Uruguayan club teammate Darwin Núñez.

Former Real Madrid midfielder James Rodríguez appears to have rekindled his career, at least on the international stage, with the Rayo Vallecano man joining teammate Rafael Santos Borré on two goals so far. Rodríguez is certainly a blast from the past, having previously led Colombia to the quarterfinals of the 2014 Brazil World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s Golden Boot winner with six goals.

In contrast, Bolivia has struggled so far, currently sitting in eighth place. However, they have won each of their last two games—a 4-0 win against Venezuela and a 2-1 victory over Chile—and are arguably in better form than half of the nations above them. Despite their faltering form, La Verde has shared the goalscoring responsibilities, with Ramiro Vaca, Carmelo Algarañaz, and Miguel Terceros (AKA Miguelito) all netting two goals each.

In the two sides’ previous meeting, a friendly in June, Colombia ran out comfortable 3-0 victors with goals from Jhon Arias, Jhon Córdoba, and the aforementioned Luis Díaz for Los Cafeteros. It was an ill-tempered affair, culminating in a flashpoint in the 68th minute, with both Daniel Muñoz of Colombia and César Menacho of Bolivia shown straight red cards for violent conduct.

Colombia is looking to qualify for its seventh World Cup, having previously participated in 1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014, and 2018. However, they failed to qualify for Qatar 2022. Bolivia, on the other hand, is hoping to qualify for just its fourth World Cup, having participated in 1930, 1950, and most recently 30 years ago, at USA 1994. Unsurprisingly, they’ve never made it out of the group stage, with a solitary point across their three tournaments—a 0-0 draw with South Korea in 1994.

It could be a long 90 minutes for Bolivia against their more illustrious opponents, who are arguably one of the top three teams in the world right now. But South American internationals have always been unpredictable, with shocks and surprises occurring on a regular basis.

Thursday, 10 October 2024, 21:00 BST, CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifier, Estadio Municipal El Alto.