*grumble*

[rone]

Why is it that you cannot find the US-Panama World Cup qualifier on any channel on Dish Network, which has forced me to follow their progress via FIFA's World Cup scoreboard?  Why is it that ESPN would rather show socially stunted people playing poker than a crucial match that's a prelude to the preëminent sports tournament in the world?

After today's 3-0 humbling in Barranquilla, Colombia, Ecuador's path to the Cup is a little bumpier.  Although they're still in third place, they're only a point up on Paraguay, and three up on Colombia and Chile (with Uruguay still skulking with a remote chance of squeaking in).  In addition, they have two games as visitors left out of three, and they've only managed one tie to break up the monotony of losing away from home.  This is what the coming games look like:

Ecuador: @ Bolivia vs. Uruguay @ Chile

Paraguay: vs. Argentina @ Venezuela vs. Colombia

Colombia: @ Uruguay vs. Chile @ Paraguay

Chile: @ Brazil @ Colombia vs. Ecuador

Uruguay: vs. Colombia @ Ecuador vs. Argentina

Ecuador needs to beat Bolivia, the current last-place team.  Since their strength at home is the same (thin air that makes Denver feel like a hill), Bolivia's edge should be dulled.  Then they must win at home (which they've done in all their other games, except for a tie versus Perú) versus Uruguay.  That should make the game in Chile a formality for them.

Argentina qualified today (as did Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Iran) after beating Brazil 3-1; thus, it's hard to predict whether they'll play their remaining games with their full team (they tried to slack already when they played in Quito last week by sitting two starters, but ended up playing poorly and losing 2-0).  This probably means that Paraguay and Uruguay will not face as tough a match at home as you'd expect.  Colombia has the toughest road, as it faces three other teams in the thick of qualification.  Chile will have a very hard time not losing at Brazil, which will force it to win its remaining two games, and i don't expect them to win in Colombia, either.  Uruguay very probably has to win every game, and i don't see it.  So i see Brazil, Ecuador, and Paraguay joining Argentina in the Cup, with Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay duking it out for fifth place and a last-chance home-and-away with the Oceania champion (which will be determined in a home-and-away between Australia and the surprising Solomon Islands).  It's a close guess, but Colombia has the points and the goal differential, so that's my pick.

And Panama-USA is over, 0-3.  USA!  USA!

Comments

[zadcat.livejournal.com]

I noticed the other day that one of the closest restaurants to my new apartment is an Ecuadorean one. They flog the usual fast food but have some indications they also do some of their own stuff. What should I look for?

(Sorry, no soccer content, although I did hear some Spanish radio station out back on the weekend with a voice getting very excited indeed during some futebol play-by-play.)

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

My journal is an apropos-free zone. Wheee!

Hmm, what to look for... llapingachos are potato pancakes, locro is potato soup, mote pillo is hominy scrambled with egg, herbs and spices. There's also stuff from the coast, like bolón de verde, which is similar to matzoh ball soup, except they use green plantain instead of matzoh, and encocado, which is seafood in a coconut sauce, and ceviche.

[zadcat.livejournal.com]

Cool. But mostly not paleolithic. I will see whether they have the fish and seafood things. I love ceviche.

I thought Ecuador had some roast pig specialty, but I must've mixed it up with somewhere else.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, "hornado". Also "fritada", which is the fried version.

[zadcat.livejournal.com]

"hornado" must just mean "baked"?

It's annoying. I can sort of understand Spanish a little, but I can't say a thing in it myself.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Practically; it should be "horneado" or "enhornado", technically. "Hornado" refers only to the dish.

Naturally, i feel the same way about French.

[twillis.livejournal.com]

To answer your first question:

Because poker is COOL and soccer is for LUSERS.

HAW! HAW!

[frosch.livejournal.com]

soccertv.com (http://www.soccertv.com/amer.cfm) says it was on Telemundo. *shrug*

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Hmm, Dish Network didn't show it. It does say "Eastern feed", i wonder if that makes a difference. Bastards, all of them. Also, i think i need to have my second dish adjusted so Telemundo comes in.

[frosch.livejournal.com]

Not that I'm under the impression I'm telling you anything you don't already know, but west coast network feeds are generally the same thing the east coast gets, lagged by three hours. Since Telemundo isn't an all-sports network, that's probably what they did.

[eejitalmuppet.livejournal.com]

Well, if Ecuador get there, they won't have to worry about Scotland. Last night's draw with Belarus in Minsk makes it exceedingly difficult for us to even get to a play-off (we'd probably have to win away at both Slovenia and Norway, and take something from the home game with Italy). It says a lot about how far we've fallen that a draw with Belarus was seen as a decent result.

After we were elimintated from the 1998 World Cup, I said to a (non-Scottish) friend that the most depressing part was that it would be ten years before we qualified for another major tournament. That figure is starting to look overly optimistic.