25 July 1993 - Height Has Its Advantages

On 25 July 1993, Bolivia handed Brazil their first-ever World Cup qualification defeat, beating them 2-0 in La Paz.

Bolivia had, to that point, only participated in two World Cups (1930 and 1950), while Brazil had already won three of them (1958, 1962, 1970). And the Brazilians had never lost a World Cup qualifier since FIFA instituted them for the 1934 tournament (though they did not play first one until 1954, having qualified automatically for the 1934, 1938, and 1950 World Cups).

For the 1994 campaign, they met Bolivia at the Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz. Situated 11,932 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest professional stadiums in the world. A crowd of 42,611 gathered for the match, which remained scoreless until the last few minutes.

In the 88th minute, Bolivian midfielder Marco Etcheverry (pictured) took control of the ball near the midfield stripe, then raced down the left channel all the way to the goal line, holding off pressure from a couple of Brazilian defenders. He fired the ball across the face of the goal, where it struck the leg of goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel and deflected into the net.

Brazil sent players forward in a desperate attempt to find an equalizer, but Bolivia used the space in the back to double their lead. Etcheverry sent the ball forward to substitute striker Álvaro Peña, who beat Taffarel with a side-footed shot from the edge of the six-yard box to cap the 2-0 victory.

Both teams eventually qualified for the tournament, with Brazil capturing their fourth title while Bolivia exited in the first round.

29 June 1997 - Brazil Hits The Heights

On 29 June 1997, Brazil won their fifth South American Championship/Copa América, beating hosts Bolivia 3-1.

The reigning World Cup champions rolled through the group stage, winning all three of their matches, then advanced to the final with a 2-0 win over Paraguay and a 7-0 demolition of Peru. There, they faced Bolivia, the only other team in the tournament with a perfect record up to that point.

They met at Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz, whose altitude of almost 12,000 feet above sea level has proven to be an asset to Bolivia, as visiting teams often have trouble acclimating. The tournament organizers clearly intended to use the location strategically, as Bolivia played all of their earlier matches there, while Brazil had played all of theirs in Santa Cruz, with a much lower altitude of 1,365 feet.

But Brazil managed to adapt. After going into the break level at 1-1, they went ahead with a goal from Ronaldo in the 79th minute, then sealed the win with a 90th-minute strike from Zé Roberto.

1 April 2009 - Bolivia Rises To The Occasion

On 1 April 2009, Argentina matched their record loss with a crushing 6-1 defeat to Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier.

It came in the twelfth round of CONMEBOL qualification. Argentina had a record of five wins, four draws, and only one loss, falling 1-0 to Chile the previous October. Bolivia, meanwhile, racked up an unimpressive collection of two wins, three draws, and six losses, including a 3-0 loss to Argentina in the teams' previous meeting.

But the rematch was played in La Paz, whose altitude had proven a hindrance to many teams in the past. Needing the win to preserve any hope of reaching South Africa, Bolivia attacked from the start and were rewarded with an 12th-minute goal from Marcelo Moreno.

Argentina drew level with a long-range blast from Lucho González in the 24th minute, but the match was all Bolivia's after that. A foul by Javier Zanetti ten minutes later led to a Bolivia penalty, converted by Joaquín Botero, who scored twice more (55', 66') to net a hat-trick on the day. As Argentina stars Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi struggled, Bolivia got additional goals from Álex da Rosa (45') and Didí Torrico (87').

The final score matched their 6-1 loss to Czechoslovakia in 1958, a margin equaled by 5-0 losses to Uruguay in 1959 and Colombia in 1993.

Unfortunately for Bolivia, they followed their performance with only one more win and five losses, which prevented them from qualifying. Argentina reached the World Cup and made it to the quarterfinals before falling to Germany.

26 September 1970 - The Number Of This Beast Was 10

On 26 September 1970, DC United playmaker Marco Etcheverry was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Widely regard as one of Bolivia's greatest players, he was named in 2005 as one of the MLS All-Time Best XI.

Nicknamed "El Diablo," he started his professional career in 1986 and played for a handful of teams in South America and Spain before moving to DC United in 1996 for the inaugural MLS season. By that time, he was an established Bolivian international, with over 30 caps, including a single appearance in the 1994 World Cup in which he was sent off for a foul on Germany's Lothar Matthäus only three minutes after coming on as a substitute.

In that first season in DC, he was instrumental in leading United to the MLS Cup, including scoring the only goal in DC's victory over the NY/NJ MetroStars in the Eastern Conference semifinals en route to being named the tournament MVP. In eight seasons with DC, he won two more MLS Cups (1997, 1999), the US Open Cup (1996), and two Supporters Shields for having the league's best record (1997, 1999).

Individually, he was named the league MVP in 1998 and was included in the MLS All-Star team in each of his first four seasons. By the time he left DC in 2003, he was the club's leader in several statistical categories including assists (101) and appearances (191).

After leaving DC in 2003, he played briefly for Bolívar (where he had played in 1990-91), then retired in 2004.

30 April 1949 - Paradise for Paraguay

On 30 April 1949, Paraguay secured their record victory, beating Bolivia 7-0 in the Copa América.

Dating back to 1910, the national team of Paraguay had finished as runners-up in the tournament three times, but had never won it. By the time they played Bolivia in 1949, they were again in second place, just behind Brazil, after losing to Uruguay ten days earlier.

Playing before a crowd of 45,000 at Rio de Janeiro's Estádio São Januário, Paraguay looked determined to maintain their title challenge with a first-half hat-trick from Jorge Benítez. Forward Dionisio Arce added a fourth before the break. They contributed another goal each in the second half, while Pedro Fernández joined them on the scoresheet. It was a crushing defeat for Bolivia, but not their worst of the tourney--they had already lost to Brazil 10-1 earlier that month.

Paraguay went on to beat Brazil 2-1 in the last scheduled match. The win drew the teams level in the table, forcing a playoff. That match ended 7-0, but Paraguay were on the wrong end that time as Brazil claimed their third Copa América title. Paraguay did eventually win the tournament in 1953 and again in 1979.

In 2010, Paraguay matched the 7-0 scoreline with a win over Hong Kong in a post-World Cup friendly.

19 January 1974 - I Wonder If He Wore Golden Booties

On 19 January 1974, DC United's former captain and all-time scoring leader Jaime Moreno was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.

Moreno started his professional career in 1991 with his hometown club, Blooming. After two successful seasons, he transferred to Colombian side Independiente Santa Fe, but made only 5 league appearances before transferring again in 1994, this time to English Division One side Middlesbrough. When Boro were promoted for the 1995-96 season, he became the first Bolivian to play in the Premier League.

After playing sparingly for Middlesbrough, Moreno returned to the Western hemisphere in 1996 to play for DC United in the new American league. Other than one season (2003) with the MetroStars, Moreno has remained with DC ever since. Along the way, he earned several honors, including four MLS Cups (1996, 1997, 1999, 2004), two US Open Cups (1996, 2008), and one CONCACAF Champions Cup (1998).

In 1997, he won the MLS' Golden Boot, scoring 16 goals in 20 league appearances. He retired in 2010 and is the league's third all-time top scorer, with 133 goals, all but two of which he scored with DC United.

17 November 2007 - Zanetti Pops A Record Cap

On 17 November 2007, Argentina defeated Bolivia, 3-0, in a World Cup qualifier before a crowd of 43,308 at Buenos Aires' Estadio Antonio V. Liberti. In that match, Argentina captain Javier Zanetti made his 116th appearance for his country, becoming Argentina's most-capped player.

Zanetti made his international debut on 16 November 1994. He represented Argentina for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, but was controversially omitted from the 2006 World Cup squad by then-coach José Pekerman. Pekerman resigned after the tournament, however, and was replaced by Alfio Basile, who recalled Zanetti for a friendly against France on 7 February 2007. Since then, he has remained a mainstay of the national team, with 136 caps at present.

The match against Bolivia was a convincing win, with a first-half goal from Sergio Agüero (40') and a second-half brace from Juan Román Riquelme (56', 74'). Argentina struggled throughout the remainder of qualification, though, securing its trip to South Africa only on the last day with a 0-1 away win over Uruguay.

29 June 1997 - Brazil Hits The Heights

On 29 June 1997, Brazil won their fifth South American Championship/Copa América, beating hosts Bolivia 3-1.

The reigning World Cup champions rolled through the group stage, winning all three of their matches, then advanced to the final with a 2-0 win over Paraguay and a 7-0 demolition of Peru. There, they faced Bolivia, the only other team in the tournament with a perfect record up to that point.

They met at Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz, whose altitude of almost 12,000 feet above sea level has proven to be an asset to Bolivia, as visiting teams often have trouble acclimating. The tournament organizers clearly intended to use the location strategically, as Bolivia played all of their earlier matches there, while Brazil had played all of theirs in Santa Cruz, with a much lower altitude of 1,365 feet.

But Brazil managed to adapt. After going into the break level at 1-1, they went ahead with a goal from Ronaldo in the 79th minute, then sealed the win with a 90th-minute strike from Zé Roberto.

1 April 2009 - Bolivia Rises To The Occasion

On 1 April 2009, Argentina matched their record loss with a crushing 6-1 defeat to Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier.

It came in the twelfth round of CONMEBOL qualification. Argentina had a record of five wins, four draws, and only one loss, falling 1-0 to Chile the previous October. Bolivia, meanwhile, racked up an unimpressive collection of two wins, three draws, and six losses, including a 3-0 loss to Argentina in the teams' previous meeting.

But the rematch was played in La Paz, whose altitude had proven a hindrance to many teams in the past. Needing the win to preserve any hope of reaching South Africa, Bolivia attacked from the start and were rewarded with an 12th-minute goal from Marcelo Moreno.

Argentina drew level with a long-range blast from Lucho González in the 24th minute, but the match was all Bolivia's after that. A foul by Javier Zanetti ten minutes later led to a Bolivia penalty, converted by Joaquín Botero, who scored twice more (55', 66') to net a hat-trick on the day. As Argentina stars Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi struggled, Bolivia got additional goals from Álex da Rosa (45') and Didí Torrico (87').

The final score matched their 6-1 loss to Czechoslovakia in 1958, a margin equaled by 5-0 losses to Uruguay in 1959 and Colombia in 1993.

Unfortunately for Bolivia, they followed their performance with only one more win and five losses, which prevented them from qualifying. Argentina reached the World Cup and made it to the quarterfinals before falling to Germany.

25 July 1993 - Height Has Its Advantages

On 25 July 1993, Bolivia handed Brazil their first-ever World Cup qualification defeat, beating them 2-0 in La Paz.

Bolivia had, to that point, only participated in two World Cups (1930 and 1950), while Brazil had already won three of them (1958, 1962, 1970). And the Brazilians had never lost a World Cup qualifier since FIFA instituted them for the 1934 tournament (though they did not play first one until 1954, having qualified automatically for the 1934, 1938, and 1950 World Cups).

For the 1994 campaign, they met Bolivia at the Estadio Hernando Siles in La Paz. Situated 11,932 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest professional stadiums in the world. A crowd of 42,611 gathered for the match, which remained scoreless until the last few minutes.

In the 88th minute, Bolivian midfielder Marco Etcheverry (pictured) took control of the ball near the midfield stripe, then raced down the left channel all the way to the goal line, holding off pressure from a couple of Brazilian defenders. He fired the ball across the face of the goal, where it struck the leg of goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel and deflected into the net.

Brazil sent players forward in a desperate attempt to find an equalizer, but Bolivia used the space in the back to double their lead. Etcheverry sent the ball forward to substitute striker Álvaro Peña, who beat Taffarel with a side-footed shot from the edge of the six-yard box to cap the 2-0 victory.

Both teams eventually qualified for the tournament, with Brazil capturing their fourth title while Bolivia exited in the first round.

26 September 1970 - The Number Of This Beast Was 10

On 26 September 1970, DC United playmaker Marco Etcheverry was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Widely regard as one of Bolivia's greatest players, he was named in 2005 as one of the MLS All-Time Best XI.

Nicknamed "El Diablo," he started his professional career in 1986 and played for a handful of teams in South America and Spain before moving to DC United in 1996 for the inaugural MLS season. By that time, he was an established Bolivian international, with over 30 caps, including a single appearance in the 1994 World Cup in which he was sent off for a foul on Germany's Lothar Matthäus only three minutes after coming on as a substitute.

In that first season in DC, he was instrumental in leading United to the MLS Cup, including scoring the only goal in DC's victory over the NY/NJ MetroStars in the Eastern Conference semifinals en route to being named the tournament MVP. In eight seasons with DC, he won two more MLS Cups (1997, 1999), the US Open Cup (1996), and two Supporters Shields for having the league's best record (1997, 1999).

Individually, he was named the league MVP in 1998 and was included in the MLS All-Star team in each of his first four seasons. By the time he left DC in 2003, he was the club's leader in several statistical categories including assists (101) and appearances (191).

After leaving DC in 2003, he played briefly for Bolívar (where he had played in 1990-91), then retired in 2004.

30 April 1949 - Sorry, Larissa Riquelme Wasn't There

On 30 April 1949, Paraguay secured their record victory, beating Bolivia 7-0 in the Copa América.

Dating back to 1910, the national team of Paraguay had finished as runners-up in the tournament three times, but had never won it. By the time they played Bolivia in 1949, they were again in second place, just behind Brazil, after losing to Uruguay ten days earlier.

Playing before a crowd of 45,000 at Rio de Janeiro's Estádio São Januário, Paraguay looked determined to maintain their title challenge with a first-half hat-trick from Jorge Benítez. Forward Dionisio Arce added a fourth before the break. They contributed another goal each in the second half, while Pedro Fernández joined them on the scoresheet. It was a crushing defeat for Bolivia, but not their worst of the tourney--they had already lost to Brazil 10-1 earlier that month.

Paraguay went on to beat Brazil 2-1 in the last scheduled match. The win drew the teams level in the table, forcing a playoff. That match ended 7-0, but Paraguay were on the wrong end that time as Brazil claimed their third Copa América title. Paraguay did eventually win the tournament in 1953 and again in 1979.

In 2010, Paraguay matched the 7-0 scoreline with a win over Hong Kong in a post-World Cup friendly.

19 January 1974 - I Wonder If He Wore Golden Booties

On 19 January 1974, DC United captain and all-time MLS scoring leader Jaime Moreno was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.

Moreno started his professional career in 1991 with his hometown club, Blooming. After two successful seasons, he transferred to Colombian side Independiente Santa Fe, but made only 5 league appearances before transferring again in 1994, this time to English Division One side Middlesbrough. When Boro were promoted for the 1995-96 season, he became the first Bolivian to play in the Premier League.

After playing sparingly for Middlesbrough, Moreno returned to the Western hemisphere in 1996 to play for DC United in the new American league. Other than one season (2003) with the MetroStars, Moreno has remained with DC ever since. Along the way, he earned several honors, including four MLS Cups (1996, 1997, 1999, 2004), two US Open Cups (1996, 2008), and one CONCACAF Champions Cup (1998).

In 1997, he won the MLS' Golden Boot, scoring 16 goals in 20 league appearances. He is currently the league's all-time top scorer, with 131 goals through the 2009 season.

17 November 2007 - Zanetti Pops A Record Cap

On 17 November 2007, Argentina defeated Bolivia, 3-0, in a World Cup qualifier before a crowd of 43,308 at Buenos Aires' Estadio Antonio V. Liberti. In that match, Argentina captain Javier Zanetti made his 116th appearance for his country, becoming Argentina's most-capped player.

Zanetti made his international debut on 16 November 1994. He represented Argentina for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, but was controversially omitted from the 2006 World Cup squad by then-coach José Pekerman. Pekerman resigned after the tournament, however, and was replaced by Alfio Basile, who recalled Zanetti for a friendly against France on 7 February 2007. Since then, he has remained a mainstay of the national team, with 136 caps at present.

The match against Bolivia was a convincing win, with a first-half goal from Sergio Agüero (40') and a second-half brace from Juan Román Riquelme (56', 74'). Argentina struggled throughout the remainder of qualification, though, securing its trip to South Africa only on the last day with a 0-1 away win over Uruguay.

8 April 1908 - One Of The Best Football Club Names Ever

On 8 April 1908, Bolivian club The Strongest was founded in La Paz by Jose Leon Lopez Villamil, making it the oldest active football club in the country, as well as the only one that has played in Bolivia's top flight for over 100 years without interruption.

The club's colors are yellow and black, adopted in 1908 from the colors of the Chayñita, a local bird.

The Strongest have earned numerous honors, their first being the inaugural (and only) Copa Prefectural championship in 1911. That was the first football tournament played in Bolivia and was contested between amateur sides. They went on to win the first of 28 league titles in 1914.

The Strongest also have the distinction of being the only Bolivian team to finish a season without conceding a goal (in 1933, though they did not win the league that year).