Still No Clear Picture In Conmebol Qualifiers

There is still no clear picture as to who will be either Australia or the Solomon Islands opponent in the Oceania/South American World Cup play-off in November, following a full round of matches over the weekend.

There is still no clear picture as to who will be either Australia or the Solomon Islands opponent in the Oceania/South American World Cup play-off in November, following a full round of matches over the weekend.

The only good thing from Australia-s perspective, is that Ecuador-s 2-0 win over group leaders Argentina, means they will likely only need one more win to secure their place at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

Ecuador (23 points) have a very competitive side, but they are almost unbeatable at home, where they benefit from playing at a very high altitude, where opposition teams generally struggle to run out games. They are now four points clear of fourth place Paraguay (19 points) and six points ahead of Colombia, Uruguay and Chile (all 17 points).

Venezuela (15 points) and Peru (14 points) are still in the running, but anything less than a win in their next matches on Wednesday and Tuesday respectively, will almost certainly be curtains on their World Cup ambitions. Bolivia-s loss to Chile has effectively ended their hopes.

Colombia is in the same boat as Ecuador, where it plays it-s matches at altitude (although not quite as high) and certainly made Peru look ordinary on Saturday with a 5-0 win. Colombia host Ecuador on Wednesday night in what should be an intriguing clash.

The Colombians have hit back strongly in recent matches after an ordinary start and with matches also against Uruguay (September), Chile and Paraguay (both October), their World Cup destiny is definitely in their own hands.

Australia-s nemesis in the last World Cup play-off Uruguay, certainly didn-t do their hopes of qualifying automatically any good, by drawing away at Venezuela on the weekend and simply has to beat Peru in Lima to have any chance. They face three tough games on the run in, although Ecuador and Argentina will most likely have already qualified by the time they play them.

Paraguay, beaten 4-1 by Brazil on Sunday, should pick up three points against last placed Bolivia at home on Wednesday, but from Australia-s point of view, they might be the team they would prefer to play considering their patchy form of late. They have lost their last three matches and not won a qualifier since September 2004.

Chile-s 3-1 win over Bolivia on Saturday, has lifted them firmly into calculations, but they cannot afford to drop any points at home with tough away games against Brazil and Colombia to come.

Having drawn with Venezuela in February 2004 in Caracas, Venezuela, Australian coach Frank Farina would love to be able to go back there with a full strength squad for the play-off fixture. Their match with Chile on Wednesday night in Santiago, Chile, will be the crunch match for them and must win, as they then have two home matches against Peru and Paraguay to try and pick up maximum points, before playing Brazil away.

With competition so close, 25 or 26 points is looking the most likely number of points that a team will need to finish in 4th spot, with the next team likely to be only a point further back.

And what is looking even more likely, is that it will come down to the last round of matches before we find out, which team will be the most likely opponent.