Team News
Bolivia coach Gustavo Quinteros will be unable to count with the services of captain Ronald Raldes, who will be replaced by Rudy Cardozo. But their biggest blow is the absence of star striker Marcelo Martins Moreno, who is suspended. Bolivia don't count with an array of stars, as do most South American teams, and Martins' attacking punch will surely be missed. His replacement will likely be Sivasspor striker Ricardo Pedriel.
Meanwhile, Claudio Borghi, the coach of Chile, will wait until the last minute to decide whether he will include Gary Medel in his starting eleven, as the Sevilla midfielder is suffering from a dorsal strain. If he doesn't recover in time he will most likely be replaced by Charles Aranguiz. It was also confirmed that Colo Colo defender Pablo Contreras will miss the match, due to an injury to his right foot. His position will be occupied by Juventus' Arturo Vidal.
Probable Starting Line-ups
Bolivia: Vaca, E. Rodriguez, L. Mendez, Rivero, Cardozo, Flores, Chumacero, Escobar, Campos, Pedriel and Arce.
Chile: Bravo, O. Gonzalez, M. Gonzalez, Rojas, Vidal, Mena, Diaz, Medel, Fernandez, Sanchez and Suazo.
Form
Hosts Bolivia currently find themselves bottom of the South American World Cup qualifiers, despite the fact that they held Argentina to a shock 1-1 draw in Buenos Aires. But in their other three games they suffered defeats against Uruguay, Colombia and Venezuela. Bolivia are in a must-win situation at home to Chile. Borghi's Chile will be hoping to move closer towards group leaders Uruguay, with a positive result against Bolivia in the altitude of La Paz. La Roja come into the game having beaten Paraguay 2-0 in their last World Cup qualifier in Santiago in November, and should be motivated by the fact that they are unbeaten in their last four encounters, since being thumped 4-0 by Uruguay in another qualifying game.
Players to Look out for
Arce: With the absence of leading scorer Martins, enormous pressure lies on the back of the shoulders of his replacement Pedriel. The Turkey-based attacker will likely have plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net against the Chileans, and will be hoping to take full advantage of his starting role.
Sanchez: The tricky winger had an impressive first season with Barcelona, and will be aiming to continue with his good form with the national team. If he manages to link up well with fellow striker Humberto Suazo, Chile could possibly return home with three crucial points.
Prediction
Bolivia have yet to obtain three points from their first four World Cup qualifiers, and will be forced to beat Chile at the Estadio Hernando Siles on Saturday. What boosts Bolivia's chances of winning the game is the fact that the stadium sits at 3,600 metres above sea level, giving them a significant advantage over their rivals. However, Chile have experienced success in La Paz in the past, and will rate their chances of picking up at least a point from their visit. Chile have grown immensely since the emergence of a number of world-class players, including Suazo, Sanchez and Vidal, and will be hoping to move closer towards group leaders Uruguay.
The Verdict:
