CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying

1 Brazil 30

2 Uruguay 23

3 Argentina 22

4 Colombia 21

5 Ecuador 20

6 Chile 20

7 Paraguay 18

No Neymar in NZ then

Its getting tense

In my ill informed opinion Ecuador would be as good as we could hope for

I'm guessing Paraguay 

Who ever we get, I doubt that we will be the same class.

This website has Colombia as favourites for the playoff spot. Closely followed by Chile and Ecuador.

Messi banned for 4 matches & Bolivia 2-0 currently up vs Argentina.

So Bolivia beat Argentina 2-0. Ecuador is losing 2-0 against Colombia at Half Time and Chile v Venezuela has just kicked off.

Chile 3-0 up currently, so likely that Argentina will end the day in the play off spot.

Playing Bolivia at home is tough due to the altitude. La Paz is at 3,660m. As a comparison Mt Cook is at 3,724m.

Brazil is heading to a comfortable 2-0 win over Paraguay, and will now be a an uncatchable 9 points ahead of Colombia in 2nd place. So Neymar won't be playing in NZ.

Re the 5th playoff spot Paraguay now probably look gone, being 4 pts below Argentina in the 5th spot with 4 games to go. 

But of the other sides there is only 4 pts between Colombia in 2nd and Ecuador in 6th.  

Peru v Uruguay being last game of this round has just kicked off.

So playoff spot looking to be anyone of Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina or Ecuador.

Personally I'd enjoy seeing buck toothed Suarez in NZ. Maybe Winnie Reid can provoke the hot head to get himself sent off or something

If Urugay win today that probably rules them out. Too many teams would need to catch them.

Uruguay lose 1-2 in Lima. So definitely add them and Suarez to possible list of AWs playoff opponents. 

In the past Socceroos twice had to play World Cup qualifying playoffs against Uruguay. Famously winning on penalties in Sydney in 2005, to qualify for 2006 WC.

Argentina have one 1 game in 8 without messi... well scince he is out for the rest of wcq then hopefully Argentina drop alot of points.

1 Brazil 33

2 Colombia 24

3 Uruguay 23

4 Chile 23

5 Argentina 22

6 Ecuador 20

7 Peru 18

8 Paraguay 18

Next round of qualifying 31st August (Uruguay v Argentina will be spicy) and 3rd Sept.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/90995513/banned-lionel-messi-might-be-meeting-the-all-whites-in-world-cup-playoff

Woud u guys rather play Chile, Argentina or Uruguay???

I'd rather any of those 3 than Ecuador or Colombia. 

Mainly selfish reasons, if I was able to get enough money for the away trip, I'd be there and those 3 countries would be easier to get to than Colombia or Ecuador 

On the footballing side I don't think it really matters who we got, even Bolivia or Venezuela, we'd be up against it and unlikely to qualify

With Chile, Uruguay or Argentina, NZF will probably get a better TV deal, but that's not really going to affect me

yesterday the most popular football newspaper in argentina published an article about the All Whites beating Fiji, they're speculating about the playoff

http://www.ole.com.ar/futbol-internacional/eliminatorias/Firmas-Nueva-Zelanda_0_1767423471.html

http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/92290613/lionel-messi-wins-fifa-appeal-remaining-three-matches-of-ban-lifted

Argentina or Chile - at least they have direct flights to and from NZ. Should save a bit of cash if I can scrape the funds together to get over there in the first place. Maybe it's just me, but the thought of catching connecting flights in South America may be a bit fraught with risk...

Just as an aside, I'd love to see the NZ leg of the playoff have tickets issued that can't be onsold for several times the original cost! I'm sure it's bound to be a high demand sort of thing.

Venezuela hold Colombia to a 0-0 draw at home. 

Good news for Argentina in their bid to rise up above 5th place, and in the bigger picture good news for AWs, ie rationale Colombia an "easier" playoff opponent than Messi & Co.

Draw takes Colombia to 25 pts, 3 pts ahead of Argentina.

Currently 0-0 HT Uruguay v Argentina. Huge game.

Big upset on cards in Santiago. Paraguay lead Chile 2-0.

Paraguay wins away 3-0 over Chile!

Takes Paraguay to 21 pts, and into 6th (1 pt behind Argentina). Tight as buggery.

Chile on 23 pts now look a bit vulnerable. They play Bolivia away next week.

Still 0-0 in Montevideo. Stays that way Argentina will climb to equal 4th with Chile.

Finishes 0-0 in Montevideo. Takes Argentina to equal 4th with Chile. Both on 23 pts.

Uruguay 3rd on 24 pts. 

Of the 3 sides Argentina has the easiest game next, home to Venezuela. Chile away to Bolivia and Uruguay away to a buoyant Paraguay.

HT Brazil 0 Ecuador 0 in Porto Alegre.

I hope Ecuador beats Brazil and Peru does the same with Bolivia just to add some thrill, that would leave the table Colombia 25, Uruguay 24, Ecuador 23 (GD at least 4), Chile 23 (GD 2), Argentina 23 (GD 1), Peru 21 (GD at least 0), Paraguay 21 (GD -5), the next three rounds then would be really exciting to watch

[Edit: Make that 2-0]

5 points separate 2nd to 8th right now. Chile probably prime suspects for 5th now. Big game next round is Paraguay v Uruguay. If Paraguay win that that'll throw the cat among pigeons.

Yes my dark horse Peru beat Bolivia 2-1, to make it even more interesting.

http://au.soccerway.com/international/south-america/wc-qualifying-south-america/2018-russia/1st-round/r31495/?ICID=SN_04_92

Saw the second half of that game. Three quality goals. Bolivia hot the post and missed a sitter in the last minute.

Their next game is Ecuador away, which will probably knock one of them out of contention (And maybe both of it's a draw).

Two games have kicked off.

Bolivia v Chile 0-0 at HT.

Colombia v Brazil 0-0 20 minutes in

Ecuador and Peru kicking off in 5 minutes

Brazil 1-0 up at HT

Bolivia 1-0 up over Chile

Bolivia - Chile 1-0 FT

Chile making it really hard for themselves now to qualify directly. Still a decent possibility they'll be 5th.

Colombia - Brazil 1-1 FT

Colombia still hovering around, but still probably unlikely to slide down all the way to 5th.

Peru beat Ecuador 2-1 away!!! Arriba Peru vamos

Could well be 5th by the end of the day.

If Paraguay can get something against an out of form Uruguay things are going to get even more complicated.

Peru now above Chile in 4th, but will slip to 5th if Argentina win

Chile in trouble - could lie 7th in a few hours. South America qualifying is brutal. The contrast to Oceania is night and day

Peru will still be above Paraguay if the latter win on GD.

Paraguay v Uruguay is pretty key really.