Preview: Home crowd praying for a Venezuelan goal fest
Venezuela are playing their last World Cup qualifying match at home with very slim hopes of making it to Brazil. Their fate lies in the hands of other teams – namely fourth-placed Ecuador and fifth-placed Uruguay who are both tied on 22 points.
At this point, La Vinotinto might regret having such a poor defence throughout the campaign. With 19 goals conceded and only 13 scored, the Venezuelans need two things to qualify: a big-margin victory against the Paraguayans and a big-margin defeat for either Ecuador or Uruguay.
Since football has seen many miracles happen, Venezuela will be wrong to throw the towel just yet. They have their eyes set on the play-off tickets to participate in their first ever World Cup tournament. Even if they fail to reach Brazil 2014, the 2011 Copa America semi-finalists will want to close their World Cup campaign with their heads held high.
It was on home soil that Venezuela stunned Argentina and Colombia previously. Last month, they clinched three vital points in a five-goal thriller at the expense of Peru. Will these huge wins be of any significance, ultimately?
Paraguay have nothing to play for but this does not mean that they will take Friday’s World Cup qualifying match lightly. In September last year, Los Guaranies suffered a 2-0 loss against La Vinotinto in Asuncion. Occupying the very last spot in the CONMEBOL table is humiliating for the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists. Revenge is on their minds. The Paraguayans will not be in Brazil next year and they will be keen to blow the fire of Venezuela’s candle.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Venezuela vs Paraguay live on Friday, October 11, 2013:
In USA at 16:30 ET on: beIN Sport Play
This South American World Cup qualifier will be broadcast live in Argentina, Indonesia, Portugal and other countries around the world. For live scores upon kick-off as well as full live stream and TV channel listings, please visit the Venezuela-Paraguay match page.
