The "football universe" has recently focused on two competitions: on one hand, the UEFA Nations League, and on the other, the CONMEBOL qualifiers for South American teams. Among them is Bolivia, which received authorization to move its home games to the city of El Alto, home of the Estadio Municipal. What's special about it? The field is located at 4,150 meters above sea level, a condition that definitely puts pressure on its rivals...
Football has relatively stable rules, but some aspects are more flexible than others. For example, the size of the field: FIFA recommends dimensions of 105 x 68 meters, however, its authorized extremes range from 45 x 90 to 90 x 120 meters, a huge difference. Add to that the type of surface (natural or artificial grass, as long as it's green), and the goals, whose posts do not necessarily have to be perfect circles.
Another important detail is the location of the stadium. In 2007, FIFA decided to prohibit international matches above 2,750 meters above sea level, affecting countries like Bolivia, which usually plays in La Paz (3,640 meters). After multiple complaints, the federation did not move forward with that prohibition, and Bolivia continued playing in its preferred stadium... but for these qualifiers, they made some changes.
4,150 Meters and a World Cup Dream
Basically, Bolivia decided to move its home matches to Estadio Municipal de Villa Ingenio, located in the city of El Alto, the second most populated in the entire country. In turn, this stadium is the second highest in the world: It is located at 4,150 meters above sea level, surpassed only by the Daniel Alcides Carrión in Cerro de Pasco, Peru, at 4,378 meters.
Of course, playing at more than 4,000 meters altitude does not guarantee anything for the Bolivian national team. Its participation in the last Copa América left much to be desired (last in its group, and received 10 goals in three games), and its situation in the qualifiers is not optimal either. With the replacement of its coach (Antonio Carlos Zago was fired in favor of Oscar Villegas), and the optimization of certain details, Bolivia hopes to change its present.
The president of the Bolivian federation, Fernando Costa, indicated that the stadium is "in a testing phase" to determine if it can become a permanent home. The first results have been very positive: Bolivia defeated Venezuela 4-0, and with those three points, entered the playoff position.
Source: AP News
