Paraguay - Bolivia

World Cup 2014, CONMEBOL Qualifiers

Both teams have prett much minimal chances of qualifying for the next round, and this can be seen in the squads that have been called-up for the match, as both coaches are trying to bring at the front the new generation of football players. Bolivia are 6 points behind the play-off position, but they also have one extra-match played, so their chances are practically zero. That's why they chose to call a lot of young and inexperienced players. There are just a few players with a nice national record (just 10 players with at least 10 caps), and we can even see 5 players with 0 international caps. Meanwhile, Paraguay are surprisingly last in the standings, 2 points behind Bolivia (but with a game in hand), and 8 points behind the place that gives them a play-off chance. They have also given up on their chances, and if we look at their squad, we can see a lot of big names being absent (Justo Villar - 101 caps, Alcaraz - 24, Dario Veron - 51, Victor Caceres - 52, Julio dos Santos - 33, Oscar Cardozo - 47 or Haedo Valdez - 66). They also have 6 debutantes in their squad. However, overall, they still have the quality advantage here, as they have several players based outside of Paraguay, and most of the other players are based on the front-runners Olimpia, Libertad and Cerro Porteno. This comes in contrast with the Bolivian squad, that only features 5 players based in foreign leagues, so the quality advantage should be clear on the hosts here. GL!

Paraguay (-1.25 AH) @ 1.97, 4/10
Result: 4-0, WON

Bolivia - Brazil

International Friendly Match

Exhibition match in Bolivia, in the memory of a kid who died during a Copa Libertadores match. The purpose of this match is to raise some funds, so expect a nice-flowing game, with lots of goals, willing to please the crowd and to honor the deceased fan. No foreign-based players are allowed, so both teams will have to rely on local players, and this obviously brings a huge advantage to Brazil. If we look in their squad, we can see a lot of big names and some very classy players: Ronaldinho, Jadson, Neymar and Pato, plus a few talented youngsters, but without too much international experience (especially in the defensive line). Now, I am aware that the big stars probably won't play throughout the match, as almost all of them have Libertadores duties, but with the amount of quality that they have, even one half on the pitch should be enough. The Bolivians can't boast about their player's skills. They are using a mix of experienced players and some youngsters, but there is little to say about them, even the experienced ones. The only ones worth mentioning are Marcelo Moreno and Juan Carlos Arce, as they should be the only ones capable of putting some pressure on Brazil's fragile defense. Also, the match will be played at Santa Cruz, where there is no altitude, so the Brazilians can just get on with their usual game. With nothing at stake here, I'm expecting both teams to show something nice for the fans and viewers, and when this is the case, usually both teams score and we have several goals. GL!

over 2.5 goals @ 1.88, 4/10
Result: 0-4, WON

Bolivia - Argentina

CONMEBOL, World Cup 2014, Qualifiers

Confederation leaders Argentina are travelling to Bolivia, in what is expected to be a very tricky match. No need to mention the high altitude again (3600 meters), and the faster movement of the ball, as everybody is familiar with that. And as I've said many times before, the Bolivian teams employ an offensive style of play when acting as hosts, trying to capitalize on the advantage provided by the altitude. But besides that, they also enjoy a different advantage, as the big teams are usually resting star players, either to keep them fit for the next match, or not to enter into a conflict with the parent clubs. And Argentina will make no exception here: although no official line-up has been confirmed, it looks like only Messi, Mascherano, Romero and Di Maria will start the match. The rest is unknown, but it is highly expected that some reserve players will take the field. Of course, Argentina has plenty of quality even among the reserves, but since none of them are accustomed to playing in such conditions, it's going to be hard. And even their star players (Messi, Di Maria) will have a hard time to cope with the altitude. Last match that took place in Bolivia between these two sides ended in 6-1 for the hosts. We certainly won't see the same score now, as Maradona is no longer the coach, but Bolivia has some good chances not to lose. GL!

Bolivia (+0.75 AH) @ 1.89, 5/10
Result: 1-1, WON

Bolivia - Uruguay

World Cup 2014 Qualifiers

The line is quite low on this one, and I really expect a nice match, so we should easily see at least 2 goals here. Both teams need the points here, Bolivia in order to get closer to the qualification area, and Uruguay to make sure they remain on their position. Main advantage for the home team is the high altitude from La Paz (over 3500 meters), and for sure the Uruguayans will have problems coping with that, because they can't to the same thing the Peruvians did (make a team only with players used to playing at altitude). Bolivia will force the attack with an offensive trio (Martins, Mojica and Arce), and if they manage to put constant pressure on their oponents, the goal should come eventually, especially towards the end of the match when the air should run out. Meanwhile, Uruguay will use a slightly more defensive approach, with just Suarez and Forlan up-front, probably hoping for some counters or set pieces. Bolivia conceded in all of their home games, and failed to score only in one (against Chile). Also, last 3 matches played between these teams in the qualifications ended with lots of goals (Uruguay won at home 5-0 in 2007 and 4-2 last year, while Bolivia draw at home 2-2 in 2008), so I expect the same pattern today. GL!

over 2.25 goals @ 1.81, 4/10
Result: 4-1, WON

Bolivia - Costa Rica

Copa America

Ok, odds have been moving like crazy, up and down, and I doubt the current price will be available for too long, so let's take it now, as it surely has value if we considered it was down all the way to 1.76 yesterday on Sunday morning. Can't explain why the odds have gone up so much. Bolivia left a very good impression after their debut, in which they held Argentina to a 1-1 draw, after taking the lead and only being equalized by a superb effort from Aguero. They didn't impress (as it was Argentina who disappointed), but they looked quite ok against a bigger opponent, and with 1 point already in their pockets, 3 more against Costa Rica will assure their qualification to the next stage. Costa Rica, as we all know, are using a very experimental team, with 99% of the players performing in the local league, and 18 out of the 23 squad belonging to the U-23 team. They didn't pull any trees in their first match. In fact, they were quite awful... harmless in attack, and very vulnerable in defense, and the only reason why the match ended just 0-1 was because the Colombians treated the second half like a friendly match, and weren't even trying to score another one. This Costa Rica team is probably the poorest in all the tournament, and I don't expect them to win any points. The Bolivian team has a lot of players from Oriente Petrolero, and that's a good thing, as they know each other very well and know how to play like a team, so I expect them to pile on Costa Rica's misery. GL!

Bolivia (-0.5 AH) @ 2.01, 3/10

Result: 0-2, LOST