The two rounds of the South American qualifying phase for the Qatar World Cup 2022 scheduled for the end of March have been suspended due to the difficulties of the ten participating teams for clubs, especially Europeans, to give up their players due to the pandemic of coronavirus.
Since EuropeWithout generalizing but to be graphic, they have long argued that they are the ones who make the investments to acquire the main South American footballers, they pay their millionaire salaries, but then they must cede them to the South American teams.
The pandemic added other circumstances, which in the background accentuated a feeling and an intention that has been going on for a long time. Specifically, the FIFA, without the consent of South America, authorized the clubs to have the discretion to assign footballers, if the quarantines upon return exceeded five days. A] Yes, England, Germany, and also Spain, they had the chance to take refuge in that regulation.
Specific. The non-loan of most of the South American footballers who play in Europe made it impossible to play the double scheduled date in March under normal conditions. We ran out of Argentina- Uruguay, and without Brazil- Argentina.
It is the first time that Europe has managed to twist its hand to the FIFA and don't send your footballers. In a virtual meeting held this Saturday in South America, between the presidents of the Federations of this region, the president of Conmebol, Alejandro Dominguez, and the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, it was concluded that no matter how hard Infantino put in this time, there was no way to change destiny. The main European clubs would not give up their main South American players.
The Conmebol Last year he managed to start the South American qualifiers with the matches of the first four days, although without an audience and under strict sanitary measures.
The protocol was also applied to complete the program of the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana. However, the evolution of the Covid-19 in the region it has worsened in recent weeks with the delay in vaccination processes and the explosion of new outbreaks in countries such as Brazil.
In fact, this Friday the suspension of regional tournaments was announced in Brazil to stop the spread of coronavirus cases.
The two days involved and the classification
In principle, the double date of March will be played in June. A posteriori, the America Cup in Argentina and Colombia. The two Playoff games scheduled for June will need to be rescheduled. Triple rounds of South American Qualifiers could be played in the second half of 2021, although a lot of water will surely pass under the bridge before the next dates are set.
The first day of March, the fifth of the South American World Cup qualifiers, was scheduled for the 25th with the Bolivia-Peru, Venezuela-Ecuador and Chile-Paraguay matches; and on the 26th, with the meetings Colombia-Brazil Y Argentina-Uruguay.
On March 30, the sixth day was set, with the meetings Ecuador-Chile, Uruguay-Bolivia, Paraguay-Colombia, Peru-Venezuela and Brazil-Argentina.
After the first four dates Brazil is the leader with 12 points, followed by Argentina with 10, Ecuador with 9, Paraguay and Uruguay with 6, Chile and Colombia with 4, Venezuela with 3 and Bolivia with one.