Ecuador began to seriously argue for a ticket to the World Cup by defeating Paraguay 2-0.
AFP
Brazil travels non-stop to Qatar-2022 by extending its perfect march to seven consecutive wins in the South American qualifier on Thursday, followed by Messi’s Argentina who, relieved after winning the Copa América in July, played without pressure and dispatched Venezuela 3-1 in Caracas.
In this ninth day, remember that dates seven and eight are still to be disputed, Ecuador began to seriously discuss a ticket to the World Cup by defeating Paraguay 2-0 and Colombia rescued a point at the height of La Paz that puts it in the race to fight for another of the four direct quotas to Qatar-2022.
The seleçao did not even stop against Chile and beat them 1-0 in Santiago despite the fact that nine of their players, several of them starters, could not join the squad due to the refusal of English clubs to give in to their players alleging long periods of isolation upon the return of South America due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Coach Tite was forced to reformulate his call-up and leave regular starters like Thiago Silva (Chelsea), goalkeeper Alisson (Liverpool) and forwards Richarlison (Everton) and Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) in England.
Hand in hand with Neymar, the Seleçao, on the other hand, walks with a sure step towards the maximum appointment of 2022 and after the victory against Chile with a goal from Everton Ribeiro at 64, awaits its archrival Argentina on Sunday in Sao Paulo to try to take revenge of the final of the America’s Cup.
Chile was in seventh place, with six units and in a risk zone. A new fall can destroy the dream of returning to a World Cup after his trip to Russia-2018 was frustrated.
Messi released
Argentina extended its winning step after winning the Copa América in July by dispatching Venezuela 3-1 on Thursday.
The Argentine captain, very beaten by the Venezuelan players, looked relieved, without pressure, pulling the strings after carrying a heavy backpack with four lost finals, three of them consecutive (the Copa América 2007, 2015 and 2016 and the 2014 World Cup).
La Albiceleste is now in second place in the standings, with 15 points, six behind Brazil, while Ecuador, which defeated Paraguay at home, has 12 and seems to cut off the two regional powers en route to the 2022 World Cup.
Everything was served to Albiceleste when defender Luis Martínez was sent off at minute 32 after applying a furious kick to Messi, which paralyzed his breathing in Buenos Aires and Paris.
The center forward Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring at the end of the first half (45 + 2) and when the complement was averaging, it was liquidated by Correa, Joaquín (71) and Angel (74), in the first game after Argentina won the Copa América against Brazil at Maracana (1-0), after 28 years of drought.
The skillful Yeferson Soteldo, the best vinotinto footballer, had his prize at the end when he took a penalty from the Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and shortened the gap to 90 + 4.
Ecuador does not yield
The Ecuadorian team of Argentine Gustavo Alfaro reaped in the end what they sowed throughout the game. When it seemed that Paraguay would achieve another draw, Félix Torres scored in the 88th minute and Michael Estrada closed the account at 90 + 5 for those from the middle of the world.
Paraguay, on the other hand, paid for its low ambition and now sees its future complicated in the tie, with seven points in the same number of games.
Earlier, Colombia missed a vital triumph shortly before the end of the match, but it still celebrates the point in the difficult redoubt of La Paz (3,600 meters above sea level), which leaves those led by Reinaldo Rueda in fifth place, in repechage zone.
At minute 83, with a furious shot from the half moon that sneaked into a post, Fernando Saucedo sealed the tie for Bolivia and thwarted the coffee feat after the opening of Colombian Roger Martínez (69).
However, those from the highlands face a very complicated panorama with 6 points in seven games and the increasingly distant horizon of returning to a World Cup after their last experience in the United States-1994.
La Celeste got away, without Cavani and Suárez
Without its two lethal gunners Luis Suárez (injured) and Edinson Cavani under the English veto, Uruguay rescued in Lima a draw against Peru (1-1) that keeps it in fourth place, in the qualifying zone.
Peru was the most affected with the result since despite leaving the basement of the table (5 points), it is still very far from the fight for a pass to the World Cup.
Peru must begin to add triumphs without delay if it wants to compete in another World Cup after going to Russia-2018 after 36 years of absence. (D)