Tim Vickery
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For South America's national teams there are no competitive matches until the Copa America next June and that is primarily a warm up for the next set of World Cup qualifiers, which get underway soon afterwards.
This, then, is a transitional time - a moment for fresh players to be tested and new coaches to be appointed.
This weekend's round of friendlies will have left some of those coaches with big smiles on their faces. Earlier this year, Colombia re-appointed Hernan Dario Gomez, who took them to the 1998 World Cup and was in charge of Ecuador four years later. On Friday he chalked up his first win in this new spell with an excellent 2-0 triumph away to Venezuela.
Ecuador, meanwhile, have gone Colombian once more, appointing Reinaldo Rueda, who took Honduras to the recent World Cup in South Africa. His reign could hardly have got off to a better start on Saturday when Cristian Benitez scored after 30 seconds as Ecuador won 2-1 away to a strong Mexico team.
Peru also took a step in the right direction, winning 2-0 away to Canada in their first match under Sergio Markarian, a vastly experienced Uruguayan who qualified Paraguay for the 2002 World Cup.
Batista helped Argentina win the 1986 World Cup - photo - AP All of these coaches are aware that the real judgment of their work will come when the competitive matches start. For the moment the pressure is off.
But not in Argentina, where Sergio Batista is fighting for his career on Tuesday when he sends his side out to face world champions Spain.
The big, bearded midfielder in Argentina's World Cup winning team of 1986, Batista is a caretaker coach who wants the job on a definitive basis. He has been told that results will determine his fate. So there is plenty at stake in Buenos Aires. Spain are putting their prestige on the line. Argentina are fighting for the future of their coach.
When Alfio Basile resigned as Argentina boss nearly two years ago, Batista was the obvious and logical replacement. In charge of Argentina's youth set-up, he had just won the Olympic gold medal with a line-up very similar to the senior side. It would have been a smooth transition.
But Diego Maradona was on the campaign trail and the Argentine FA realised they were in a no-lose situation. If Maradona succeeded they could bask in reflected glory. If he failed they could draw his sting and be rid of him in little more than a year and a half. So Maradona got the job, and Batista was overlooked.
Timing can often be key to a coach's future. Batista's position, which looked so strong in 2008, has been weakened by subsequent events.
At the start of last year he had his first test with the Under-20s, the level at which Argentina have been so dominant in recent times. They won the World Youth Cup in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2007.
But on Batista's watch they could not even qualify. Captained by Emiliano Insua, Argentina endured a disastrous South American Under-20 Championship, managing just one win in nine games.
All of this leaves Batista at a fascinating fork in the road. If he is given the top job, then with next year's Copa America on home ground he has a good chance of taking Argentina to their first senior title since 1993.
But if he goes back to the Under-20s, another failure in the South American Championships next January could see him slung out on his ear.
The stakes are high, which helps explain the squad Batista has picked to face the Spanish.
Last month he coached Argentina to a 1-0 win away to Ireland, but the squad had been selected by Maradona, with a nudge or two from Carlos Bilardo. This time the list is Batista's.
If Juan Roman Riquelme had been there would almost certainly have been a recall. Brought back into the squad are the Inter Milan pair of Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso. Another World Cup exclusion, defender Gabriel Milito is also included. And Andres D'Alessandro is back, rewarded for helping Internacional of Brazil win the Copa Libertadores.
Part of this is playing to the gallery. Batista's selection serves as a giant banner proclaiming: "I am not Diego Maradona".
Some of it also does not make much long-term sense. D'Alessandro, for example, has been playing well but is not the decisive player in the final third of the field that he once looked set to be.
His inclusion also means that there is no place for the promising Javier Pastore of Palermo, which, given the fact that D'Alessandro will be 33 at the next World Cup, is hard to justify.
Cambiasso is a year older, and the future in this central midfield position surely belongs to Fernando Gago (currently injured) and, especially, to Ever Banega of Valencia, also in the squad.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
Highlights - Argentina 0-4 Germany (UK users only) Gago and Banega both played against Ireland, and though it was weeks before their season began, the Irish could not get the ball off them.
Zanetti is extraordinarily unlucky to have been left out of the last two World Cups, and is talking of still being around for 2014. But at the age of 37 that has to be seen as unlikely. And the injury-prone Milito will be pushing 34 at the next World Cup, and does not offer a solution to Argentina's need for renewal in the centre-back positions.
Batista, though, can be forgiven for not having his sights set on 2014. First he needs to fight for the right to be given that challenge. He has picked a squad which, as well as differentiating himself from Maradona, also gives him the best chance of beating Spain.
This is not another friendly for the likes of Zanetti and Cambiasso - it is the opportunity to make a point in front of the Buenos Aires crowd. And with Lionel Messi promising to do his best for Batista, there is the prospect of a wonderful 90 minutes.
Comments on the piece in the space provided. Questions on South American football to [email protected], and I'll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week's postbag;
Q) I have just read a gushing piece about Santos' Ganso which described him
as the new Socrates. Do you think this is justifiable?
Richard Dale
A) Unfortunately he has just suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury which will keep him out for six months. Socrates is a fair comparison - perhaps a prototype left-footed Zidane Zidine. A real talent - the languid elegance of genuine class. Having said that, the playmaker position is a hard one to play in as one of his Santos predecessors Diego found when he moved to Europe. The physical intensity is greater, and there is much less time on the ball, so decisions have to be made quicker. Until we've seen Ganso shine in top-class competitions I'm reluctant to proclaim him as the future of football - he wasn't very impressive last year in the World Youth Cup, for example. But he is a player of exceptional promise.
Q) I was wondering if you think Red Bull Salzburg's new signings Alan and Joaquin Boghossian have what it takes to succeed in European football?
Mark Bird
A) I think it's a good piece of business. The pair of them are complementary talents who should form an interesting attack. Joaquin Boghossian, a Uruguayan, is a big, penalty area striker, a target man who has done very well in Argentina. Alan, from Brazil, is a flyer, a quick forward who carries a threat down the flanks.
More...
This, then, is a transitional time - a moment for fresh players to be tested and new coaches to be appointed.
This weekend's round of friendlies will have left some of those coaches with big smiles on their faces. Earlier this year, Colombia re-appointed Hernan Dario Gomez, who took them to the 1998 World Cup and was in charge of Ecuador four years later. On Friday he chalked up his first win in this new spell with an excellent 2-0 triumph away to Venezuela.
Ecuador, meanwhile, have gone Colombian once more, appointing Reinaldo Rueda, who took Honduras to the recent World Cup in South Africa. His reign could hardly have got off to a better start on Saturday when Cristian Benitez scored after 30 seconds as Ecuador won 2-1 away to a strong Mexico team.
Peru also took a step in the right direction, winning 2-0 away to Canada in their first match under Sergio Markarian, a vastly experienced Uruguayan who qualified Paraguay for the 2002 World Cup.
Batista helped Argentina win the 1986 World Cup - photo - AP All of these coaches are aware that the real judgment of their work will come when the competitive matches start. For the moment the pressure is off.
But not in Argentina, where Sergio Batista is fighting for his career on Tuesday when he sends his side out to face world champions Spain.
The big, bearded midfielder in Argentina's World Cup winning team of 1986, Batista is a caretaker coach who wants the job on a definitive basis. He has been told that results will determine his fate. So there is plenty at stake in Buenos Aires. Spain are putting their prestige on the line. Argentina are fighting for the future of their coach.
When Alfio Basile resigned as Argentina boss nearly two years ago, Batista was the obvious and logical replacement. In charge of Argentina's youth set-up, he had just won the Olympic gold medal with a line-up very similar to the senior side. It would have been a smooth transition.
But Diego Maradona was on the campaign trail and the Argentine FA realised they were in a no-lose situation. If Maradona succeeded they could bask in reflected glory. If he failed they could draw his sting and be rid of him in little more than a year and a half. So Maradona got the job, and Batista was overlooked.
Timing can often be key to a coach's future. Batista's position, which looked so strong in 2008, has been weakened by subsequent events.
At the start of last year he had his first test with the Under-20s, the level at which Argentina have been so dominant in recent times. They won the World Youth Cup in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2007.
But on Batista's watch they could not even qualify. Captained by Emiliano Insua, Argentina endured a disastrous South American Under-20 Championship, managing just one win in nine games.
All of this leaves Batista at a fascinating fork in the road. If he is given the top job, then with next year's Copa America on home ground he has a good chance of taking Argentina to their first senior title since 1993.
But if he goes back to the Under-20s, another failure in the South American Championships next January could see him slung out on his ear.
The stakes are high, which helps explain the squad Batista has picked to face the Spanish.
Last month he coached Argentina to a 1-0 win away to Ireland, but the squad had been selected by Maradona, with a nudge or two from Carlos Bilardo. This time the list is Batista's.
If Juan Roman Riquelme had been there would almost certainly have been a recall. Brought back into the squad are the Inter Milan pair of Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso. Another World Cup exclusion, defender Gabriel Milito is also included. And Andres D'Alessandro is back, rewarded for helping Internacional of Brazil win the Copa Libertadores.
Part of this is playing to the gallery. Batista's selection serves as a giant banner proclaiming: "I am not Diego Maradona".
Some of it also does not make much long-term sense. D'Alessandro, for example, has been playing well but is not the decisive player in the final third of the field that he once looked set to be.
His inclusion also means that there is no place for the promising Javier Pastore of Palermo, which, given the fact that D'Alessandro will be 33 at the next World Cup, is hard to justify.
Cambiasso is a year older, and the future in this central midfield position surely belongs to Fernando Gago (currently injured) and, especially, to Ever Banega of Valencia, also in the squad.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
Highlights - Argentina 0-4 Germany (UK users only) Gago and Banega both played against Ireland, and though it was weeks before their season began, the Irish could not get the ball off them.
Zanetti is extraordinarily unlucky to have been left out of the last two World Cups, and is talking of still being around for 2014. But at the age of 37 that has to be seen as unlikely. And the injury-prone Milito will be pushing 34 at the next World Cup, and does not offer a solution to Argentina's need for renewal in the centre-back positions.
Batista, though, can be forgiven for not having his sights set on 2014. First he needs to fight for the right to be given that challenge. He has picked a squad which, as well as differentiating himself from Maradona, also gives him the best chance of beating Spain.
This is not another friendly for the likes of Zanetti and Cambiasso - it is the opportunity to make a point in front of the Buenos Aires crowd. And with Lionel Messi promising to do his best for Batista, there is the prospect of a wonderful 90 minutes.
Comments on the piece in the space provided. Questions on South American football to [email protected], and I'll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week's postbag;
Q) I have just read a gushing piece about Santos' Ganso which described him
as the new Socrates. Do you think this is justifiable?
Richard Dale
A) Unfortunately he has just suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury which will keep him out for six months. Socrates is a fair comparison - perhaps a prototype left-footed Zidane Zidine. A real talent - the languid elegance of genuine class. Having said that, the playmaker position is a hard one to play in as one of his Santos predecessors Diego found when he moved to Europe. The physical intensity is greater, and there is much less time on the ball, so decisions have to be made quicker. Until we've seen Ganso shine in top-class competitions I'm reluctant to proclaim him as the future of football - he wasn't very impressive last year in the World Youth Cup, for example. But he is a player of exceptional promise.
Q) I was wondering if you think Red Bull Salzburg's new signings Alan and Joaquin Boghossian have what it takes to succeed in European football?
Mark Bird
A) I think it's a good piece of business. The pair of them are complementary talents who should form an interesting attack. Joaquin Boghossian, a Uruguayan, is a big, penalty area striker, a target man who has done very well in Argentina. Alan, from Brazil, is a flyer, a quick forward who carries a threat down the flanks.
More...