South America's World Cup qualifying journey begins

Argentina is one of the greatest shows on turf, featuring insanely talented FIFA World Player of the Year candidate Lionel Messi. Mark Dadswell/Getty Images

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When you think of World Cup qualifying, what usually comes to mind are the predictable matchups between the world's major powers and teams that don't even deserve to be on the same field. (Italy vs. the Faroe Islands, anyone?)

But in South America, it's a completely different story. The gap between the top and bottom teams has shrunk quickly, and the level of the competition is now of the highest order. All but one of the 10 countries on the continent have appeared in previous World Cups, and each one of them has the potential to reach South Africa in 2010.

As a result, the South American confederation (CONMEBOL) has decided to stick with the same format in which each team will play one another both home and away over a two-year period. From the bunch, Brazil and Argentina are obviously expected to secure a spot in South Africa, while the remaining two automatic berths are open to any of the other eight teams.

It's hard to believe, but the long road begins on Saturday when South American World Cup qualifying gets underway. It should be a very entertaining competition between some of the best teams that have emerged from the continent in recent years. Here's what to expect.

Most significant players

If you consider the abundance of talent that will be on display, a high standard of soccer is essentially guaranteed. South America boasts no less than the top three players in the world right now: Kaká, Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho. The likes of Diego Forlán, Robinho, Carlos Tévez, Júlio Baptista, Daniel Alves, Gabriel Heinze, Edison Méndez, Sergio Agüero and Claudio Pizarro aren't far behind.

But one player who should rise to worldwide prominence during the qualifiers is Brazil's Afonso Alves, who plays his club soccer for SC Heerenveen of the Netherlands. Last Sunday, the striker scored seven goals (yes, seven) against Heracles Almelo in the Dutch first division. It's just a matter of time before the "new Ronaldo" is snapped up by one of Europe's major clubs.

Most exciting team

Despite the fact that Argentina hasn't won a senior international trophy in more than 14 years, it has still produced several outstanding players. Currently it probably boasts the greatest player it has had since Diego Maradona: Messi.

"The Flea" has been in sensational form for Barcelona so far this season. But it isn't only his extraordinary individual skill that has caught the eye in recent months, but his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis. When you add the likes of Tévez, Agüero, and Juan Román Riquelme to the lineup, Argentina is, by a mile, the most creative team on the planet.

The revelation

As I said in my last column, my choice for the biggest surprise is Chile. La Roja is a highly skilled unit, and if Marcelo Bielsa is able to get the most out of his players, they could be unstoppable. Much of this depends on the effectiveness of the strikers Bielsa has at his disposal, particularly Humberto Suazo, who has become the team's central figure. If Chile is able to pick up a positive result in Buenos Aires on Saturday, it could be the real deal.

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