As the 9th round of the South American World Cup qualifiers is about to begin, Colombia will travel to the inland southern country of Bolivia. The match will take place at the El Alto Municipal Stadium in the suburbs of the capital, La Paz.
In the past, Bolivia has been criticized for the high altitude advantage of its home games, as the stadium is located above 4100 meters, making it the highest football stadium in the world. Visiting players commonly complain about the thin air, with some even relying on oxygen tanks to adapt to the hypoxic environment. Due to these concerns, FIFA once banned international matches at altitudes above 2750 meters in 2008, but the ban was ultimately lifted following opposition from Bolivia.
Most Bolivian players play in the domestic league and are already accustomed to these conditions. Despite being at a disadvantage on paper, they are not at a disadvantage at the high altitude of 4100 meters.
This year, Colombia has performed well in the qualifiers, currently ranking second in the standings, just two points behind world champions Argentina. Liverpool player and Colombian national hero Luis Díaz is currently the team's top scorer with three goals, tied for second on the overall scorer's list with his Uruguayan teammate Darwin Núñez.
Former Real Madrid midfielder James Rodríguez seems to have reignited his career on the international stage, currently playing for Rayo Vallecano. He and his teammate Rafael Santos Borré led the Colombian team to the quarterfinals of the 2014 Brazil World Cup, with Rodríguez winning the Golden Boot with six goals, undoubtedly a fond memory for Colombian fans.
In contrast, Bolivia's performance has been poor, currently ranked eighth. However, they have won their last two matches, defeating Venezuela 4-0 and Chile 2-1, performing better than half the teams on the leaderboard. Several Bolivian players share the goal-scoring responsibilities, with Ramiro Vaca, Carmelo Algarañaz, and Miguel Terceros (known as "Miguelito") each scoring two goals.
The last encounter between the two teams was in a friendly match in June, where Colombia easily won 3-0 with goals from Jhon Arias, Jhon Córdoba, and the aforementioned Luis Díaz. The match was fiery, with Colombia's Daniel Muñoz and Bolivia's César Menacho being sent off with red cards for violent conduct in the 68th minute.
Colombia is aiming for its seventh World Cup participation, having previously competed in 1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014, and 2018, but failed to qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Bolivia is hoping for its fourth World Cup appearance, having previously participated in 1930, 1950, and the 1994 USA World Cup. However, Bolivia has never advanced from the group stage, earning only one point in three participations, which was a 0-0 draw with South Korea in 1994.
Facing a stronger opponent, the 90 minutes might be very long for Bolivia, as Colombia is considered one of the top three teams in the world currently. However, international matches in South America are always unpredictable, often featuring upsets and surprises.
October 10, 2024, Thursday, 21:00 British Summer Time, South American World Cup qualifiers, El Alto Municipal Stadium.
