Like so often in the modern game, arranging international friendlies is much easier if you happen to be a big and powerful footballing nation.

While this week offered three lucrative and prestigious friendlies — Brazil-Italy, Spain-England and France-Argentina — smaller countries were left scratching around for opposition.

Paraguay, who despite playing at three successive World Cups seem unable to attract the promoters, ended up visiting Peru, a country they have already met twice in just over a year in World Cup qualifying matches. That followed a tortuous journey to Oman for a game last November.

In other games, Uruguay visited Libya while Colombia hosted Haiti.

Costa Rica, who beat Honduras 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday, often struggle to find friendly opponents.

They desperately want a fixture ahead of their visit to Mexico for another World Cup game at the end of March. The Mexicans, on the other hand, have already fixed up a game against Bolivia on March 11 in the United States, where they can be guaranteed a sizeable crowd of expatriates.

“It’s difficult, they ask me why Mexico can play Bolivia and we can’t,” Joseph Ramirez, general secretary of the Costa Rican federation, told local newspaper La Nacion.

“The difference is that they have the economic means and attract more people, the promoters don’t take us to play in the United States because there’s a risk the public will not go.

“We’re trying to bring a team from South America. It’s more practical to play here, some teams will accept to pay for their own tickets and we pay for the accommodation, and sometimes there are teams who will pay everything under the concept of solidarity.”

Another example of inequality in the modern game.

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PHOTO: Paraguay’s Enrique Vera (C) fights for the ball with Peru’s Paolo De la Haza during their friendly match in Lima Feb. 11, 2009. REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil

One of the most exciting finishes to the Argentine championship in recent memory is now in danger of turning into a huge anti-climax.

Last Sunday, San Lorenzo, Tigre and Boca Juniors won their last matches of the regular tournament to finish level on points at the top in a three-way tie. Goal difference is not used for the title so a mini-league is being played.

The Argentina Football Association (AFA) appeared unprepared for this eventuality (it’s the first time it has happened since the current system of two championships per season was introduced) and could now find themselves with a lame duck final.

Amid much criticism, the draw for the three-way final was held behind closed doors and produced the following fixture list: San Lorenzo v Tigre (last Wednesday), San Lorenzo v Boca (on Saturday) and Boca v Tigre (next Tuesday).

Boca, the country’s most popular club, appeared to come out of it the best as they got a week’s rest between their final league match and their first playoff.

San Lorenzo, on the other hand, find themselves playing three games in seven days in an unseasonal spring heatwave.

The biggest criticism is that the AFA should not have fixed the order of the games in advance.

San Lorenzo beat Tigre 2-1 in the opening match on Wednesday and will now clinch the title on Saturday if they beat Boca. In that case, Tuesday’s game will not be played.

A Boca win would leave both sides with three points and leave all three teams in with a chance of winning on Tuesday.

But if Saturday’s match ends in a draw, the AFA will be faced with the unhappy scenario of Boca playing the decisive game against a Tigre side who will be out of the running and more interested in their holidays.

Such a situation could have been avoided if, instead of fixing the order of matches, the AFA had ruled that the losers of Wednesday’s game had played Boca on Saturday. Instead, San Lorenzo’s hopes could be placed in the hands of a team with almost no motivation.

“With what sort of enthusiasm will a team play if they have no chance of being champions, having fought hard for 20 matches and lost everything three days ago?” asked the daily newspaper Clarin.

PHOTO: San Lorenzo’s Gonzalo Bergessio celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal against Tigre during their playoff match in Buenos Aires, Dec. 17. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian

NOTE: Refiled with correct author’s name 1106 GMT Friday, Dec 18. Sorry, Brian.

Has anything like this ever happened in football before?

Deportivo San Martin will win the Peruvian championship on Sunday if they lose their final game of the regular season. But if they win the match, they could have to face Universitario in a two-leg playoff.

This odd and unfortunate situation has arisen thanks to the weird and wonderful format used for the championship. (more…)