The CONMEBOL enters Day 8 of World Cup Qualifications for the first time since September in the last set of qualification games in 2013. The top four has Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Uruguay. Chile sits in fifth while Venezuela breathes down their necks. Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay are starting to fall behind as time runs out.
Argentina vs. Uruguay 8 PM ET
Arguably the most anticipated match of the day as the Celestes and the Albicelestes face off for CONMEBOL superiority. All eyes will be on the prodigious Lionel Messi who has been on fire for his club team Barcelona and scored a big goal against Paraguay in September's qualifying match. Messi continues to make his case for winning the Ballon D'Or for the fourth straight year. He has eight goals and 3 assists in the 2012-13 La Liga season. With the two goals and two assists from the Champions League matches and his two goals in the Spanish Super Cup, the superstar has a total of 12 goals and five assists in all Barcelona competitions this fall. If he continues this fine form for Argentina in this competition, there is no reason that Argentina cannot win and that the Ballon D'Or 2012 will not be Messi's.
Luis Suarez and Uruguay have been rather disappointing in their last few World Cup Qualifying matches. After pulling off a 4-2 win over Peru in June, the Uruguayans were trounced 4-0 by a surprising Colombian side. They followed that up with a disappointing 1-1 draw to Ecuador. Uruguay is currently tied with Chile for fourth place in the qualification round. More importantly, they have given up 11 goals in seven games and have looked dreadful on the back end. If they are going to make the World Cup 2014, that must change.
Prediction: Any team with Lionel Messi right now is a favorite in any contest (unless Cristiano Ronaldo is on the other team). Uruguay's dreadful play over the last few games should make it a 3-0 win for Argentina.