It was billed as opportunity knocks for Chile and heartbreak for Ecuador.
But no, the talk that Chile could replace their South American counterparts at Qatar 2022 is now consigned to just that – talk.
Ecuador shall go to the ball – and there is relief all around.
In the words of the president of the Ecuadorian FA, “sporting justice has been done”.
There was concern they could miss out but the nation which thought it had secured World Cup 2022 qualifying and clinched its place in March can now breathe more easily.
Where did all the fuss come from?
From a rival, of course, who they had finished above in the standings.
It all centred on defender Byron Castillo with the Chilean Soccer Federation suggesting he may have been born in Colombia and not Playas, Ecuador – the issue of his possible place of birth leading to a full blown investigation that threatened to cost them their spot at the biggest sporting event of the year.
Claims of an ineligible player used by the Ecuadorian Football Federation during World Cup qualifying meant the nation’s place at Qatar 2022 hung in the balance.
They claimed that in deploying an ineligible player, La Tri should be removed from the tournament, which they reached as the fourth-placed team in the South America pool.
However, in their search to prove wrongdoing, Chile may well have missed that Castillo’s nationality had already been disputed and proven a year or so ago.
In 2019 the Barcelona defender was under investigation for adulterating his birth documentation but eventually, in April last year, it was determined that Castillo was indeed Ecuadorian.
And so, FIFA has issued a favourable ruling in the Castillo case and rather than be thrown out of Qatar 2022, the Tricolor can now focus on the World Cup and look forward to Group A encounters with the host nation, Holland and Senegal in November.
Whether we can expect many World Cup qualifying highlights from a nation competing in the tournament for a fourth time remains to be seen.
Their previous best, incidentally, came in 2006 in Germany when they reached the last 16, only losing narrowly to England and a David Beckham free-kick.
They are not even expected to reach that far this time, given they are ranked 46th in the world, and I am certain the SBOTOP World Cup qualifying betting odds will agree closer to the time this autumn.
For now, though, their inclusion is a cause for celebration for a nation which has long been minnows of international football.
Did Chile, which finished in seventh place in South American qualifying and had been in the last chance saloon for some time, have a point or did their claim Castillo – who played in two matches against them during qualifying when he was ineligible – smack of desperation?
It was the latter for me.
Some may even argue it is karma for there is a precedent for a nation to be banned from World Cup contention on the grounds of fielding an ineligible player, or other sanctionable offenses.
Chile was itself the target of a 1994 World Cup ban after goalkeeper Roberto Rojas feigned injury during 1990 World Cup qualifying.
Then it was discovered that Rojas used a hidden razor blade to cut himself, making it look like he was injured by a flare that never hit him. Chilean players refused to retake the field after the incident citing security concerns, but video showed the sequence of events to be a hoax.
The 2-0 forfeit loss was enough to knock out Chile from the 1990 World Cup and see it subsequently punished with a ban from the 1994 tournament.
Fellow North Americans, Mexico, was banned from the 1990 World Cup – just four years after hosting the tournament – after the “Cachirules” scandal, in which it fielded four over-age players at the CONCACAF Under-20 championships.
There have been other stories too but, alas, this is a not a history lesson.
This is about the here and now.
After missing out on Russia 2018, they were indebted to Gustavo Alfaro for taking them back to the global stage, one they previously graced at Korea/Japan in 2002, Germany in 2006 and Brazil eight years ago.
That they qualified alongside regional powerhouses Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay also showed it was no fluke and they are there very much on merit.
Ecuador have made it to the biggest football show in town and, for them, well and truly, the World Cup party can begin!
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