South American teams are getting ready to start their 2018 World Cup Qualifiers, and while some think that playing against teams from other regions could help them succeed, others believe that facing their rivals for a spot in the global tournament is the right thing to do.
With that in mind, Ecuador will play against Honduras one more time since the 2014 World Cup, while Colombia and Peru play against each other for the second time in three months, following their Copa América meeting in July. Here are the key elements to consider before watching these games.
Ecuador vs Honduras
La Tricolor will try to repeat their World Cup performance against Los Catrachos, a side which they ended up defeating 2-1. The South American team will feature most of their star players, including Manchester United's Antonio Valencia. This will be the first game for Ecuador since the end of this year's Copa América, which saw them eliminated in the first stage of the tournament. Their first game in the WC Qualifiers will be against Argentina, meaning that coach Gustavo Quinteros will need to make the most of this game in order to prepare for that match properly.
Los Catrachos had a disappointing summer, earning an early exit from this year's Gold Cup. After their performance in the U.S., coach Jorge Luis Pinto summoned most of his talented players abroad, including Emilio Izaguirre, who was key for the team's 3-0 win over Venezuela last Friday. If coach Pinto wants to work his magic with the Central American side, this kind of games should come in handy to find out where his team needs some improvement ahead of the WC Qualifiers starting in November.
Colombia vs Peru
Los Cafetaleros were one of this year's Copa América flops, while Peru's third-place finish brought a breathe of fresh air to the World Cup Qualifiers starting next month. Coach José Pekerman will want James Rodriguez's best version now more than ever, after leaving Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado out of the team, while giving a number of new players the chance to perform with the National Team. Helping James' efforts will be new Atletico Madrid man Jackson Martinez and David Ospina, who is expected to start as the team's shot-stopper.
Perú's coach Ricardo Gareca decided to summon the same team that dazzled South American opponents during Chile's Copa América. Led by Paolo Guerrero, Gareca needs to be very careful with what he shows against Colombia, since their debut in the WCQ next month will be, once more, facing Pekerman's side. Renato Tapia, Christopher Gonzales and Ivan Bulos will be the team's new players, and all of them will want to make a lasting impression to become regulars with Gareca's side.
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