Sep 5, 2013; San Jose, COSTA RICA; General view of Nike soccer balls at United States training session at Estadio Nacional in advance of the FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Costa Rica. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
CONEMBOL just has a single table for qualifying with a round table competition. Paraguay plays host to Argentina in a World Cup Qualifying match. With a win Argentina will lock up a trip to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.
“The main point is to be qualified, as it would give us confidence and calmness ahead of the future,” Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero said. “It would be great too if we get the qualification by beating Paraguay because it would be on our own merit.”
There have been concerns about Lionel Messi’s health.
“Messi is okay. Sometimes the team needs and the player’s anxiety when playing for important goals makes you play before getting fully fit, but he is fit,” Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella said.
Date: September 10
Start Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Asunción, Paraguay
Stadium: Estadio Defensores del Chaco
TV Info: beIN Sport Español
Live Stream: beIN Sport Play
CONEMBOL Qualifying Stage Table:
| POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Argentina* | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 25 | 9 | 16 | 26 | |
| 2 | Colombia* | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 26 | |
| 3 | Chile* | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 24 | |
| 4 | Ecuador* | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 21 | |
| 5 | Uruguay** | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 23 | -2 | 19 | |
| 6 | Venezuela | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 17 | -7 | 16 | |
| 7 | Peru | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 14 | |
| 8 | Paraguay | 13 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 23 | -10 | 11 | |
| 9 | Bolivia | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 28 | -13 | 10 |
*- 1st through 4th qualifies for World Cup
**- play-off with a nation from Asia for World Cup spot
Paraguay Roster:
| 1 | J. Villar | Goalkeeper | – | Sergio Daniel Aquino | Midfielder | |
| 12 | Diego Daniel Barreto | Goalkeeper | – | V. Ayala | Midfielder | |
| 22 | A. Silva | Goalkeeper | – | Víctor Cáceres | Midfielder | |
| – | Roberto Carlos Acosta | Goalkeeper | – | Julio Dos Santos | Midfielder | |
| – | R. Fernández | Goalkeeper | – | M. Estigarribia | Midfielder | |
| – | Carlos Maria Servin | Goalkeeper | – | J. Rojas | Midfielder | |
| – | Tobias Antonio Vargas | Goalkeeper | – | R. Ortiz | Midfielder | |
| – | I. Benegas | Defender | – | W. Pittoni | Midfielder | |
| 14 | P. da Silva | Defender | – | Silvio Gabriel Torales | Midfielder | |
| – | P. Aguilar | Defender | – | C. Vargas | Midfielder | |
| – | Antolín Alcaraz | Defender | 10 | E. Benítez | Striker | |
| – | J. Alonso | Defender | 11 | L. Caballero | Striker | |
| – | Pedro Benítez | Defender | 18 | Haedo Valdéz | Striker | |
| – | Marcos Antonio Cáceres | Defender | 19 | L. Barrios | Striker | |
| – | S. Candia | Defender | – | L. Melgarejo | Striker | |
| – | Gustavo Gómez | Defender | – | Ó. Cardozo | Striker | |
| – | G. Mencia | Defender | – | Rogerio Luis Leichtweis | Striker | |
| – | Iván Rodrigo Piris | Defender | – | D. Lopez | Striker | |
| – | Miguel Angel Ramon Samudio | Defender | – | A. Núñez | Striker | |
| 5 | Fidencio Oviedo | Midfielder | – | Robin Ariel Ramírez González | Striker | |
| 7 | Hernán Pérez | Midfielder | – | A. Sanabria | Striker | |
| 16 | C. Riveros | Midfielder | – | Roque Santa Cruz | Striker | |
| – | Jonathan Fabbro | Midfielder | – | P. Velázquez | Striker | |
| 20 | O. Martínez | Midfielder | – | Gerardo Pelusso | Manager/Coach |
Argentina Roster:
| 1 | Sergio Romero | Goalkeeper | 18 | Pablo Guiñazú | Midfielder | |
| 12 | Mariano Gonzalo Andújar | Goalkeeper | 22 | Rodrigo Braña | Midfielder | |
| – | Agustín Orión | Goalkeeper | – | Ricardo Gabriel Álvarez | Midfielder | |
| – | Óscar Ustari | Goalkeeper | – | Ever Banega | Midfielder | |
| 2 | Ezequiel Garay | Defender | – | Lucas Rodrigo Biglia | Midfielder | |
| 3 | Cristian Ansaldi | Defender | – | Francisco Cerro | Midfielder | |
| 3 | M. Rojo | Defender | – | Augusto Fernández | Midfielder | |
| 4 | Pablo Zabaleta | Defender | – | Erik Lamela | Midfielder | |
| 15 | Clemente Rodríguez | Defender | – | Walter Montillo | Midfielder | |
| 17 | Federico Fernández | Defender | – | Maxi Rodríguez | Midfielder | |
| 23 | Hugo Armando Campagnaro | Defender | 9 | Gonzalo Higuaín | Striker | |
| – | José María Basanta | Defender | 10 | Messi | Striker | |
| – | Fabricio Coloccini | Defender | 16 | Sergio Agüero | Striker | |
| – | Gino Peruzzi | Defender | 21 | Ezequiel Lavezzi | Striker | |
| 7 | Ángel Di María | Midfielder | – | Rodrigo Palacio | Striker | |
| 8 | José Sosa | Midfielder | – | Alejandro Sabella | Manager/Coach | |
| 14 | Javier Mascherano | Midfielder |