Uruguay will look to avoid a playoff next month when it takes on Argentina in Tuesday's World Cup qualifiers.
The team can still finish in fourth place but desperately needs a win in the Chile-Ecuador match in order to secure the spot; Uruguay also needs to defeat Argentina at home. Fortunately for Uruguay, Argentina has already clinched a World Cup berth and is without its top star Lionel Messi.
Despite the hope, the team seems to acknowledge that any chance of finishing better than fifth place is unlikely. Ecuador and Chile only need to draw to book a spot in next year's tournament and it is unlikely that either team will risk this chance by being overly aggressive in Tuesday's game.
"We have evidently once again taken the longest road to qualify, but the most important thing in all this is to be at the World Cup," Captain Diego Lugano conceded, according to The Star. "Four years ago, we suffered in such a decider against Costa Rica and then had a great World Cup so all we want is to get to Brazil and it doesn't matter in what position nor on which day."
Uruguay finished in fourth place in the tournament and star player Diego Forlan was given MVP honors.
"I don't share the view that the play-off is an unworthy route to reach the World Cup," said coach Oscar Washington Tabarez, according to BBC. "We made it to South Africa that way in 2010 and ended up finishing fourth. We're not going to the World Cup through the window or the back door."
Argentina is coming off a 3-1 win against Paraguay.
Prediction: The two sides draw 1-1.
Start Time: Kick-off starts at 7:30 p.m. EST
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