Brazil and Bolivia picked up important wins, Venezuela held Argentina and the points were shared between Ecuador and Paraguay as South American qualifying resumed.
- Bolivia edged Colombia to claim their third straight qualifying win
- Argentina failed to hold on to a second half lead in Venezuela
- Brazil battle back from a goal down to defeat Chile
A sensational, second-half strike from Miguel Terceros earned 10-man Bolivia a 1-0 reverse of Colombia and their third straight win in CONMEBOL qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 26™.
It was also the third consecutive international in which the 20-year-old found the back of the net for La Verde, helping them overcome a first-half red card to move on to 12 points from nine games.
Top-of-the-table Argentina were unable to hold on to a second-half lead after Nicolas Otamendi’s opener was cancelled out by Venezuela legend Salomon Rondon, while Ecuador and Paraguay played out a scoreless draw in Quito.
Meanwhile, in Santiago, it was a pair of untested Botafogo forwards that helped breathe new life into Brazil’s qualification campaign with a vital win over Chile.
Goal: Miguel Terceros (58)
Miguel Terceros’s wonder goal led Bolivia past Colombia at the Estadio Municipal de El Alto. Bolivia had the stronger start but the first break went Colombia’s way in the 20th minute, when a Hector Cuellar was dismissed for a foul on a Roger Martinez breakaway. Colombia began to pepper the Bolivia goal, but La Verde hung tough and landed a major blow when Terceros collected a ball on the right flank, evaded a pair of challenges and launched a left-footed laser into the top-left corner of net.
Home goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra took over from there, turning away Colombia several times to secure the precious three points.
Ecuador and Paraguay shared the spoils at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado in Quito. The hosts controlled proceedings to start, but failed to create anything that made Paraguay goalkeeper Gatito Fernandez too uncomfortable in the first 45 minutes.
It was a similar story in the second stanza, with Ecuador on the front foot and Paraguay content to sit back, absorb pressure and try to strike on the counter. The pressure from Ecuador mounted in the final quarter-hour, and a blistering shot from Moises Caicedo that took a slight deflection wide gave Paraguay a scare.
In the end, though, each side settled for a point to nudge themselves up the table, Ecuador and Paraguay climbing on to 12 and 10 points respectively.
Goals: Nicolas Otamendi (13); Salomon Rondon (65)
Leaders Argentina are now winless in their last two qualifiers after being held to a draw at the Estadio Municipal in Maturin.
Heavy rain in the area prior to the match complicated matters for both sides, but Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi was unfazed, as he pounced on a loose ball in the Venezuela area off a Lionel Messi free-kick and fired Argentina into the lead.
La Albiceleste also got a big lift from their man in goal, Geronimo Rulli, whose reaction save off a Yangel Hererra header early in the second half maintained the visitors’ lead. But Rulli could not stop Salomon Rondon from equalising in the 65th minute via a powerful header off an inch-perfect cross from Yeferson Soteldo.
Chile 1-2 Brazil
Goals: Eduardo Vargas (2); Igor Jesus (45+1), Luiz Henrique (90)
In Santiago, it was a pair of raw 23-year-old Botafogo forwards that won it for Brazil with debutant Igor Santos and Luiz Henrique, earning just his third cap, turning things around for the Seleção.
The desperate hosts, who had lost their last three qualifiers, struck first as a deep Felipe Loyola cross from the right was met by the head of Brazil-based forward Eduardo Vargas who piloted his effort back across the face of goal and past Ederson in just the second minute.
Brazil drew level in first half stoppage-time with a dancing Savinho standing up a cross that was steered home by debutant Igor Jesus.
It was another late goal that won it for Brazil as substitute Luiz Henrique picked the ball up on the right, powered towards goal and was left with all the space he needed to take two touches and then fire into the far corner to breathe life into a flagging Brazil qualification campaign; the win moving the Seleção into fourth while Chile stay second last.
