We’re still nigh-on three years away from the next World Cup, but with no regional tournaments to keep them occupied in the mean time, South America’s teams are about to kick off their long old scrap for qualification. The campaign gets underway with Uruguay facing a very tough trip to Bolivia, who admittedly haven’t made it to a World Cup since 1994, but who do have an extra large home advantage courtesy of the altitude of La Paz.
Bolivia vs. Uruguay live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch World Cup qualifying online
CONMEBOL World Cup qualification kicks off on Thursday, with Bolivia welcoming Uruguay to La Paz.
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To be sure, Uruguay coach Óscar Tabárez certainly has the more talented team at his disposal, though they haven’t won away in Bolivia since 2007. It really is a very tough place to go, and they won’t be panicking if they come away without a victory. Bolivia, in contrast, know they need to make hay at home: they’re quite possibly the worst of all the CONMEBOL sides on pure footballing talent, and will be relying on their conditioning to be at all competitive over the long qualifying campaign.
Key factor: The altitude
It’s difficult to overstate quite how big a role the altitude of La Paz plays. It’s the highest capital city in the world, and as a result, it’s not uncommon to see poor opponents taking a breather with an oxygen mask during a break in play. That, unsurprisingly, has a pretty big impact on the national team’s results. While Bolivia are unbeaten in their last six competitive home matches, their 3-2 win over Ecuador at this summer’s Copa América was their first win on the road in 37 attempts.
Key player: Diego Rolán (Uruguay)
With both strike stars Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez unavailable through suspension, Uruguay will be looking for a big performance from youngster Diego Rolán. The 22-year-old has been tipped for stardom, and impressed in Bordeaux’s last Ligue 1 campaign by scoring 15 times. He’ll be looking to use this opportunity to establish himself as one of Óscar Tabárez’s key attacking options.
Match Date/Time: Thursday, 4 p.m. local/ET
Venue: Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia
TV: Bolivia TV (Bolivia), VTV Uruguay (Uruguay)
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