In the league table, an away match is simply another fixture, showing the opposition, the score, and the points gained. However, what it doesn’t show is the travelling involved, from connecting flights and late-night hotel check-ins to deciding where to stay the night before a match.
This is particularly the case in South America, where the continent is huge and preparing for an away fixture can involve a lot of planning for the entire squad and coaching staff.
One of the best examples is travelling to La Paz in Bolivia, where visiting teams not only have to worry about the opposition but also the high altitude, something many players simply aren’t used to.
The match begins with a route
In 2024, Flamengo had a Copa Libertadores fixture against Bolívar in Bolivia. Rather than travelling directly to La Paz, the Brazilian side decided to base themselves in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, which sits at a much lower altitude of around 400 metres above sea level, before flying to La Paz on the day of the match.
The decision was made to reduce the amount of time the players spent at an altitude of around 3,600 metres, which is significantly higher than what they are used to playing at in Brazil.
Normally, ahead of a Libertadores away match, Flamengo would travel a day or two before the game, giving the players time to settle into their hotel and potentially train at or near the stadium where they would be playing.
However, this wasn’t the case for their trip to La Paz, as the squad had to catch a flight on the day of the match. It meant their usual preparations, including meals, rest and warm-ups, had to be changed to accommodate the journey.
It’s just one of the many challenges clubs have to deal with when travelling around South America, particularly with the different climates and conditions across the continent. These types of preparations can also attract interest from sports partners and sponsors, including online entertainment platforms such as BassWin, which may support football coverage and other projects aimed at supporters.
La Paz has proven to be a difficult place for visiting teams over the years, something we’ve regularly seen with Bolivia’s strong home performances in World Cup qualifying.
Altitude Cannot Be Ignored
Flamengo’s then fitness coach, Fabio Mahseredjian, explained to the press that the decision was made to reduce the risk of acute mountain sickness, which can cause symptoms such as severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, all of which could affect a player’s performance on the pitch.
However, he also explained that arriving just a few hours before kick-off doesn’t mean the players have adapted to the altitude. For that to happen properly, the team would need to arrive around 15 days before the match.
It’s something that has also been discussed during World Cups, particularly when matches have been played in Mexico City, where the altitude can cause problems for visiting teams.
With the Brazilian football calendar being as packed as it is, spending 15 days preparing for one match is pretty much impossible. Instead, Flamengo’s coaching staff had to come up with another plan to try and reduce the impact of playing at altitude.
Even with all the planning that went into the trip, there was still no guarantee that Flamengo would be able to play at the same pace they normally would.
Mahseredjian also spoke about how differently players can react to playing in these conditions. Some may have played at altitude before and coped relatively well, while others might have struggled.
It’s something the coaching staff have to consider when picking their starting eleven. Rather than simply looking at who has been performing well in training or playing regularly, they also have to take into account how players have dealt with similar conditions in the past.
For example, a player who has previously played at altitude and performed well might be a better option than a regular starter who has struggled in those conditions before, even if that player has been in good form domestically.
Caution Is Not Weakness
In August 2024, Flamengo travelled to Bolivia once again to face Bolívar, this time in the second leg of their Copa Libertadores round of 16 tie. Having won 2-0 on home soil, the Brazilian side suffered a 1-0 defeat in La Paz but still managed to progress to the quarter-finals.
Although Flamengo lost on the night, it doesn’t necessarily mean their preparations were wrong. They had a two-goal advantage going into the match and ultimately did enough over the two legs to progress.
Following the match, Flamengo manager at the time, Tite, spoke about how incredibly difficult it was to play in La Paz. The Brazilian coach also required medical attention after suffering an irregular heartbeat following the game.
While Tite’s experience doesn’t mean everyone will react to the altitude in the same way, it does show that these conditions can affect more than just the players on the pitch.
From a supporter’s point of view, watching your team sit back and struggle to get forward can be frustrating, particularly when you’re used to seeing them dominate matches.
However, sometimes teams have to change the way they play depending on the opposition and the conditions. There isn’t much point in trying to play at a high intensity for 90 minutes if the players are going to struggle to maintain it.
We saw another example of this during England’s match against Mexico at the 2026 World Cup. England approached the game differently from their group-stage matches, sitting deeper, looking to frustrate Mexico and trying to catch them on the counterattack.
Even before the red card, England appeared happy to let Mexico have more of the ball rather than pressing them high up the pitch. Playing at altitude was another factor to consider, particularly for a side not used to playing in those conditions.
Sometimes it’s not about playing attractive football or dominating possession, but finding a way to get through a difficult match, which is exactly what Flamengo managed to do against Bolívar.
Two Days for Recovery
Another issue with playing away from home is something that often doesn’t become clear until after the match has finished, and that’s the amount of time players have to recover.
In April 2025, Palmeiras came away from La Paz with a 3-2 victory over Bolívar. However, despite the win, manager Abel Ferreira wasn’t particularly happy with the fixture schedule and the amount of travelling his players had to do.
Speaking after the match, Ferreira complained that his side would have just two days to recover before their next fixture.
What makes his comments interesting is that they came after a victory. You could understand people questioning his complaints if Palmeiras had lost, perhaps suggesting that he was looking for excuses. However, his side had just picked up three points in one of the most difficult places to play in South America, yet he still felt the need to raise his concerns.
And you can understand why. Just because Palmeiras won the match doesn’t mean the players suddenly get back the hours of sleep they’ve lost, or that the journey back to Brazil becomes any shorter.
It’s also worth thinking about the coaching staff, who have to start preparing for their next opponents while still analysing what happened in the previous match.
There is a lot that goes into preparing for an away fixture that rarely gets discussed during television coverage. Things like where the team will stay, how long it takes to get to the stadium, which players have experience of playing at altitude and, perhaps most importantly, how much time they will have to recover before their next match.
These are all things clubs have to consider, particularly in South America, where travelling long distances and playing several matches in a short space of time is a regular occurrence.
What the Final Score Hides
Not every away match in South America involves playing at high altitude, and the experience of visiting La Paz cannot be applied to the entire continent. But trips like this show how much work goes on behind the scenes, involving people well beyond the eleven on the pitch and the coaching staff.
Deciding where to train, how to travel and when to rest players all form part of preparing for the match. With so little time between fixtures, getting those decisions right can be just as important as what happens on the field.
That context matters when looking at why a team hasn’t pressed as much as usual or why a manager has made early substitutions. The 90 minutes are only part of the trip, and judging a visit to La Paz purely on whether a team comes home with three points, one, or none doesn’t tell the full story.