The race is on! 10 sub-20 teams that are hoping to seek a place for Poland’s World Cup
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World Cup sub-20 qualifiers begin on January 17 in the southern city of Rancagua, Chile. Brazil is once again the favorite
New year, new emotions. Football officially opens in 2019 in regards to Conmebol with the South American Sub-20 Chile 2019. The tournament that starts this Thursday, January 17 and in which the 10 selected will fight for the 4 tickets that grant the direct classification to World Cup of that category, and that is going to be held in Poland in May.
Leer en español: ¡Inicia el Sub20 en Chile! 10 selecciones buscan un cupo para el mundial de Polonia
It is always more difficult to predict favorites in these lower categories because the processes change very quickly, unlike the major national team. As Libero from Peru says, the Brazilian national team is always favorite, since, in 27 participations in this category, they have won the title 11 times, but with three consecutive titles without winning (2013, 2015 and 2017).
The same newspaper says that other strong candidates are Uruguay (current monarch), Colombia (with a very talented base), Chile for being local and because it has six consecutive unclassified editions and Argentina, which seems to be resentful by the injury of its referent Ezequiel Barcos.
They also leave a space for Peru, in whom they trust to make a great tournament due to an intense preparation. There is also Venezuela, which in the previous edition was third. Also at South Korea's World Cup was the runner-up. Venezuela's team decided to keep Rafael Dudamel as a coach and a couple of players with experience from the past world cup, like Jan Hurtado and Samuel Sosa.
As Libero of Peru notes in another article, Venezuela could well be considered one of the favorites because of the aforementioned, a process that they maintain and that in these categories is not so common to observe.
They also have the promising defender Christian Makoun, who plays in the lower Juventus and has already had some friction with the main team. However, the history full of setbacks and failures, always reduces any kind of enthusiasm with 'La Vinotinto', so no one ventures to give it as an important candidate.
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The competition
Metro de Chile expands the details about the event. They add that it will be held in the cities of Rancagua, Talca, and Curicó and that it will run until Sunday, February 10. On that day, the first team of Group A will play against the first team of Group B, based on the calendar already approved by Conmebol.
They also refer to the host and clarify that the first three, in addition to the World Cup, would also ensure their participation in the Pan American Games in Lima. The southern coach Hector Robles will try with this generation to leave behind the failures of the most recent South Americans, especially that of Ecuador 2017, where they were last in the group.
As is a tradition in this tournament, the ten teams are divided into two groups of five and the top three classified in each lot advance to the final hexagonal, where they face all against each other by the four World Cup spots. These are the groups:
Group A:
- Chile
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Bolivia
B Group:
- Argentina
- Ecuador
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Uruguay
The 'possible' stars to observe
The web portal Marca of Colombia reflects the names of the three venues that the South American Sub20 will have. Rancagua, Talca and La Curicó, and warns that it will be in those three scenarios where we can see the new South American figures.
Rodrygo (Brazil), a player of Santos and 17 years old, was named the fourth best young player in the world at the Golden Ball gala. His arrival at Real Madrid in the summer seems like a fact. The striker Nicolás Schiappacasse (Uruguay), who after a great start in the River Plate (the Uruguayan team), ended up at the Atlético de Madrid of Diego Simeone.
Jairo Concha (Peru), a mixed midfielder from the University of San Martin, who has experience in the Perús major team, after being called a couple of times. For Colombia, favorite to at least advance to the final hexagonal, the spotlights rest on Yeison Tolosa.
Argentina also has its star, it is the attacker Julián Álvarez, of River Plate, and who played some minutes the final of the Copa Libertadores in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Although they will not be able to count with one of their most talented player, Ezequiel Barco, of Atlanta United, a team from the United States. Finally, Marca, highlights Jan Hurtado (Venezuela), front striker of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, and that, in addition, has the endorsement of having already played a World U20.
South American Calendar Sub20
The Conmebol page offers details of how the games will be played in groups A and B. In the first, the headquarters will always be a the Rancagua Stadium, while the aforementioned Talca and Curicó will receive the commitments of another group. While the parties, for both groups, will have as schedule 5:10 and 7:30 pm local time.
The regular round will be held in 10 days, between January 17 and 26. Among the most attractive duels in area A are:
Venezuela- Colombia (January 17), Colombia-Brazil (January 19), Brazil-Venezuela (January 21), Chile-Brazil on January 23 and Chile-Colombia on January 25.
For the B, highlight the debut of champion Uruguay on Friday, January 18 against Peru, Paraguay against Argentina on Sunday 20, Argentina-Ecuador on Tuesday 22, Uruguay-Argentina on Thursday 24, and Uruguay-Paraguay on Saturday 26.
The final hexagonal, in turn, will be played entirely in Rancagua and will have five dates of all against all to be played on Tuesday, January 29, Friday, February 1, Monday, February 4, Thursday, February 7 and Sunday, February 10. The four best placed, qualify for the World Cup in Poland.
LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano
Translated from: '¡Inicia el Sub20 en Chile! 10 selecciones buscan un cupo para el mundial de Polonia'
