Uruguay vs. Ecuador Preview, Prediction for World Cup 2014 Qualifiers

Uruguay's Luis Suarez smiles during a news conference at the team's headquarters in the outskirts of Montevideo, September 9, 2012. Uruguay will face Ecuador in a 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer match on Tuesday.
(Photo : REUTERS/Andres Stapff (URUGUAY - Tags: SPORT SOCCER))

Ecuador's national soccer team player Frickson Erazo Vivero speaks during a news conference in Montevideo, September 10, 2012. Ecuador will play against Uruguay in a 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer match on Tuesday.
(Photo : REUTERS/Andres Stapff (URUGUAY - Tags: SPORT SOCCER))

The CONMEBOL enters Day 8 of World Cup Qualifications after an eventful round on Friday. Colombia destroyed Uruguay 4-0 to vault into the top 5. Argentina's win over Paraguay put them at the top of the table while Venezuela's loss put them out of the top 5. Ecuador's win over Bolivia solidified their qualification status. Here are the standings entering Tuesday's matches.

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Team	Pld	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Differential	Pts
Argentina	6	4	1	1	14	5	+9	13
Chile	6	4	0	2	11	10	+1	12
Ecuador	6	4	0	2	7	6	+1	12
Uruguay	6	3	2	1	14	10	+4	11
Colombia	6	3	1	2	9	5	+4	10
Venezuela	7	2	2	3	5	8	-3	8
Peru	6	2	0	4	8	12	-4	6
Bolivia	7	1	1	5	7	12	-5	4
Paraguay	6	1	1	4	5	12	-7	4

Uruguay vs. Ecuador 5:30 PM

One team looks to continue its upward trajectory while the other looks to stop its descent. Interestingly, it is not the team one would expect on the decline. Uruguay placed fourth at the 2-1 World Cup but was destroyed 4-0 against Colombia on Friday. Their offense was ineffective despite having a decent amount of quality chances. Diego Forlan in particular needs to step up if this team is going to win this match.
Ecuador won its second straight 1-0 game after taking down Bolivia. They now have 12 points and are safely in third place on the table. Offense has been their biggest difficulty though they have a clear advantage defensively.

Prediction: Uruguay Wins 2-0.