Neymar and Tite have Brazil cruising to World Cup but it’s getting tense for Uruguay and Argentina

In his latest column, Diego Forlan looks at the 2018 World Cup qualifying situation in South America.

Argentina lost to Bolivia without Lionel Messi on Wednesday and will have to contest their next three 2018 World Cup qualifying games without their best player, including the away trip to Uruguay. DanShow more

Diego Forlan writes a weekly column for The National, appearing each Friday. The former Manchester United, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid striker has been the top scorer in Europe twice and won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup. Forlan's column is written with the assistance of European football correspondent Andy Mitten.

Two bad results for Uruguay, two defeats in five days to make the South American World Cup qualifying group much tighter.

We were second going into Friday’s home game against group leaders Brazil. It was first against second, a huge match in front of the 55,000 sell-out Centenario in Montevideo. I honestly thought Uruguay had a strong chance of winning. We’ve got a strong team and we were at home.

I chose to watch it at home with friends and family rather than at the stadium. I spent my whole career in stadiums, I want to enjoy some games where I’m relaxed with the people closest to me. Not that many of them felt relaxed as Brazil scored four.

It’s a measure of how good Brazil were that they can go to the second placed team in the world’s toughest qualifying group and do that. Edinson Cavani put Uruguay ahead and then Brazil stormed back. Paulinho, the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, equalised with a superb goal from outside the box. He would score three of their four goals, but the standout player was the man who got the other one: Neymar.

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Brazil’s captain is in incredible form at the moment. He was the main man in Barcelona’s comeback against Paris Saint-Germain but he’s outstandingly good for Brazil too.

Brazil have always had some of the best individual talents in football, yet I was impressed with how they defended and provided a secure base for Neymar’s magic. He made it look easy as he went past very good defenders. He’s a game changer — if he doesn’t score then he assists — and there are so few of them about. He looked dangerous every time he got the ball and everyone knew it.

Philippe Coutinho did well too — another player putting in performances for club and country. I played with him at Inter Milan and saw his talent then.

Tite is a fine manager for Brazil. He took Corinthians to the Copa Libertadores and Fifa Club World Cup titles and he has coached all around Brazil — and at Al Ain and Al Wahda in the UAE. He’s only been in charge of Brazil since last June but he has a formidable and well organised side with the individuals to win any match.

Neymar is in exceptional form for club and country. Nelson Antoine / AP Photo

Brazil have played nine games with him and won every one. They are in perfect shape just over a year ahead of the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia. They are now nine points clear in the qualifying group, they’ve already qualified and I can’t see anyone catching them at the top.

I loved playing against Brazil, our neighbours from the north. They are a much bigger country of 200 million against our three million — not that any player thinks about that as he’s taking to the field.

Uruguay don’t have to play Brazil again in this group (we actually got a 2-2 draw in Brazil last March before Tite took over), but to lose 1-2 in Peru this week was a big disappointment.

We didn’t create enough chances, although Diego Godin hit the post. And so Uruguay have slipped to third in the group behind Colombia. Just two points separate Colombia in second with Argentina in fifth. The first four qualify automatically and the fifth place team goes into a play-off.

Luis Suarez and Uruguay suffered a 2-1 defeat to Peru on Wednesday night. Martin Mejia / AP Photo

Uruguay’s next game? Argentina at home in August. That is going to be such a huge game and both teams need to win. Argentina, our old rivals from the other side of the River Plate, will be without Lionel Messi who has three games left to serve of a four game ban. It will hurt them being without the best player in the world, but look at their squad. Almost all their players are at top clubs around the world.

Argentina’s national side is in transition, though. There have been changes at the top of their football federation, results have been mixed and now Messi is out for another three matches.

Messi is banned for insulting someone. Who? That depends who you ask. Argentina may appeal and say that he was insulting nobody, but video evidence appears to show that he was insulting someone and it looks like his target was an official.

The evidence came from television — nothing was seen during the game and the referee didn’t mention it in his match report. To miss four matches, including the damaging 2-0 defeat to Bolivia on Wednesday, at such a crucial stage in the group is a major blow for Argentina.

Lionel Messi has three games of a four game ban left to serve. Victor R Caivano / AP Photo

There are only four matches left in the group stage, but Uruguay have to be careful when Argentina come to play at the Centenario in August. Very careful. This is the team who were ranked No 1 in the world when the group stage began in 2015.

The top five in the group are now Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, South American champions Chile and Argentina. Ecuador are sixth — just two points behind Argentina. Peru’s win against Uruguay means they are only two points behind Ecuador with the same points as Paraguay. It’s really close and really exciting because eight of the 10 teams can still reach the World Cup finals.

Uruguay worked really hard to get up to second before last week. They will not throw that away, but they must get those wins because even a fifth place play-off would seem like a disappointment. I have faith in my compatriots to do well against Argentina and then away to Paraguay and Venezuela before a last home game against Bolivia in October. Then I can hopefully watch my country in the first finals that I’ve not played in since 1998.

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