New Brazil coach debuts with
ban and without Romario

Brazil's new coach Emerson Leao will make his debut against Colombia on Wednesday with a ban and without his top player Romario as South America's monstrous World Cup qualifying competition passes the halfway mark.

Ecuador, who have never qualified for a World Cup, and Chile both face potentially decisive matches, while Uruguay will discover whether their three-week acclimatisation in La Paz was worth the money and effort when they take on Bolivia.

Brazil, second in the South American group but five points behind leaders and arch-rivals Argentina, face Colombia without the man who has scored seven goals in their last two matches.

Romario, who was repeatedly overlooked by former coach Wanderley Luxemburgo before being recalled to face Bolivia in September, pulled a muscle in training on Monday and has been replaced by his bitter personal rival Edmundo.

The match will be Brazil's first under former international Leao, appointed after Luxemburgo was sacked in September after poor results and amid allegations he had committed irregularities during his days at club level.

Leao, however, will not begin his reign on the bench as he will be serving a 20-day touchline ban imposed in Brazil after he was sent off in a match involving his club side Sport Recife.

Although many wondered whether Leao's fiery temper made him suitable for the job, few thought it's effects would have been felt so soon.

The match is also important for Colombia, who are fourth with 14 points but suffered a morale-shattering 2-0 home defeat by Paraguay in their last game.

The top four teams in the ten-team group, which is at the halfway mark, qualify for Japan and South Korea, while the fifth-placed team gets another chance with a play-off against the winners of the Oceania region.

Although Brazil have climbed to second, their performances in the first half of the tournament were not considered worthy of four-times World champions, with draws against Colombia and Uruguay and defeats in Chile and Paraguay.

Ironically, Chile, who beat them 3-0, are now struggling in seventh place with ten points and desperately need to beat Argentina to keep their hopes alive.

Chile were given a boost when Lazio striker Marcelo Salas arrived in Santiago on Monday and said he would be fit to play despite sporting a nasty swelling on his left leg following a tackle by Uruguayan defender Paolo Montero of Juventus on Sunday.

"I'm very confident of playing on Wednesday," he said.

Fortunately for Chile, the visitors have been hit by an injury crisis with striker Gabriel Batistuta, Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez and midfielders Javier Zanetti and Pablo Aimar all forced to pull out of the trip.

A suspension to key midfielder Diego Simeone has added to the problems facing coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Ecuador, whose unbeaten home record has been offset by their failure to pick up any points away from the high altitude of Quito, need to break their duck away to bottom-of-the-table Venezuela.

Lying sixth with 13 points, a win could provide the Ecuadoreans with the confidence they need while any other result will effectively bury their campaign.

"We have to win this match," said striker Agustin Delgado, the team's topscorer with four goals. "It's our chance to get near the leaders."

Ecuador's cultured playmaker and captain Alex Aguinaga, who is suspended.

Uruguay have opted to take a squad of home-based players to La Paz to allow them three weeks attempting to adapt to the notoriously difficult conditions.

The only exceptions are Malaga striker Dario Silva and AC Milan's Pablo Garcia.

"We believe this is the most effective methord to try and play the match on equal terms with Bolivia," said coach Daniel Passarella, whose team are fifth with 14 points.

"It's very expensive to come here, we have used up important money and also the goodwill of the Uruguayan clubs who have had to release players while still playing in the championship."

Ninth-placed Bolivia, ironically, have also avoided using foreign-based players for home games because they do not have time to acclimatise.

Wednesday's other match pits Paraguay, third with 17 points, against a Peru, who are in eighth place and have virtually given up hopes of qualifying.

Peru coach Julio Cesar Uribe has dropped foreign-based stars such as Newcastle United's Nolberto Solano and Werder Bremen's Claudio Pizarro and opted to give younger players an outing.

Paraguay central defender Carlos Gamarra is doubtful with injury but the team inspired by volatile goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert are expected to maintain a 100 percent record in Asuncion.