What Could Have Been Written on November 10, 2005, by Eddie.
This weekend features the first leg of a series of home-and-home series between countries to qualify for the remaining five berths in the World Cup for next summer.
South America’s fifth place team plays the winner of the Oceania region for one of those slots. Saturday’s match is a replay of the same scenario with Uruguay meeting Australia for the coveted spot in 2001. Back when the qualifying process began in 2003, according to my calculations Bolivia had a legitimate shot at making the 5th place finish. Winning every single game at home with the psychological and physiological advantage of the high altitude stadium could have made these dreams a reality.
However, those calculations were off by a large margin. Not only did Bolivia not come anywhere close to 5th, it finished dead last, including several terrible losses and ties in La Paz. At the time, I remember daydreaming and vowing that if Bolivia were to have the opportunity to play in that playoff series, I would be in Bolivia for that week no matter what. Even if I had to fly to Bolivia for one day and fly back the next, it would be well worth it to be in an environment where a return to the World Cup was on a possibility.
There’s always 2009.
The five games slated for Saturday:
EUROPE:
• Czech Republic vs. Norway
• Spain vs. Slovakia
• Turkey vs. Switzerland
SOUTH AMERICA/OCEANIA
• Uruguay vs. Australia
NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICA & CARRIBBEAN/ASIA
• Trinidad & Tobago vs. Bahrain
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and 2013.. and 2017 .. and 2021… ( oh no, wait I may be talking to worms by that time)…
I have a vivid memory of the day we qualified for USA, we were at a bar in Cochabamba in El Prado, I think was Ballivian’s, I don’t remember. too many Cervezas… I still have the label from the beer we were drinking when we made id to the World Cup. ahhh good times…
Unfortunately that seems to be the motto for Bolivia: There’ll always be a next time!
Oh man, I can’t imagine the scene on the Prado in Cbba. I was there when Wilstermann was champs in 2000 and it was pretty crazy. I don’t think there would be comparison with a national party.