Uruguay He made Brazil feel the rigor of the Marcelo Bielsa style with a clear 2-0 victory that meant the end of an extensive 22-year negative streak, this Tuesday on the fourth date of the South American qualifying round, in which Venezuela began to shake its permanent absence in the world cups by beating a colorless Chile 3-0.
Impressive triumph for Uruguay
The Uruguayan team quickly assimilated Bielsa’s dizzying style. ‘El Loco’ got his hands on the deep-rooted culture of the Uruguayan game as a central attribute due to the associated game and a rhythm that is difficult to endure, even for Brazil. Bielsa played a very risky card: he left out the two historical celestial idols, Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani. Suárez’s replacement, forward Darwin Núñez, one of the figures of the duel in the Centenario, opened the scoring in the 41st minute.
Midfielder Nicolás De la Cruz scored 77 and sealed the result with a bang, a victory that was celebrated in style. The Seleçao seemed to be hit by the departure due to an injury to the left leg of the idol Neymar, although at some point they were not able to react to the overwhelming Uruguayan rhythm. “Although it is not easy, there are many players on the current team who have been molded by those who are no longer there. I hear the respect and gratitude with which the players speak of those who are no longer here or of those who are circumstantially absent,” Bielsa said at the end of the match.
Rodrigo Paiva, press chief of the CBF, told AFP that what happened with Neymar “is something that worries” and that on Wednesday he will undergo “examinations in Sao Paulo.” “The doctor of the Brazilian team (Rodrigo Lesmar) will stay in Sao Paulo to see” the results of the medical tests, he added. Brazil closed the October double date with one of its worst performances after the loss against Celeste and the previous day’s draw against Venezuela at home.
Messi extends Albiceleste streak
The Argentine captain returned to his strengths and resolved the match against Peru in Lima with two great goals in the first stage (32 and 42 minutes) to extend a positive series for the world champions of eight consecutive wins in 2023 and 14 unbeaten games since lost to Saudi Arabia in the debut in Qatar-2022.
His full return refreshed the well-oiled Albiceleste machinery, which now leads the standings with a perfect score of 12 points. In just four games, he was five points ahead of his pursuers Uruguay, Brazil and Venezuela.
Argentina appears as an assembled and confident team, which can do without even a base player like Ángel Di María (injured) without suffering its performance. In second-to-last place in the standings and with just one point, Peru will have to shuffle and give again if it does not want to be left out of the next major event.
Red wine with good flavor
An intractable Yeferson Soteldo, author of a goal (45+1) and an assist to Salomón Rondón (72), led Vinotinto to a victory that fuels the dream of the Caribbean team’s first participation in a World Cup.
The team led by Argentine Fernando ‘Bocha’ Batista had already shown signs of new life by drawing 1-1 with Brazil at home on the previous date. Darwin Machís gave him the attribute of a win in the 79th minute this Tuesday. Chile, on the other hand, cannot find a way back to a complicated replacement of its successful golden generation led by Alexis Sánchez and Arturo Vidal, and now suffers with just four points in the classification and the fear of being left out of another World Cup, as has happened since Russia-2018.
Paraguay revives
The Guaraní team left behind its offensive ineffectiveness and this Tuesday added a decisive victory in the second game of Argentine Daniel Garnero as coach of the Albirroja. The only goal of the match at the Defensores de Chaco stadium in Asunción was the work of striker Antonio Sanabria, in the 69th minute.
Bolivia continued without scoring in four games and its coach, the Argentine Gustavo Costas, entered the risk zone. Those from the highlands, who no longer count on the height of their stronghold of La Paz (3,600 meters above sea level) as a faithful ally, are beginning to perceive that qualifying for the 2026 North American World Cup is not far from being an impossible mission, despite the six tickets direct that South America has, two more than in previous appointments.
Colombia draw
Jhon Arias will miss the game against Brazil.
More promise than reality, Ecuador and Colombia tied 0-0 in an unremarkable match at the height of Quito (2,850 meters above sea level) for the fourth qualifying round. A penalty missed by Colombian star Luis Díaz (Liverpool) in the second half was one of the few emotions of the clash. The duel, very physical, left both with a satisfied grimace. Colombia was left with six points in the fifth step of the table, in the classification zone, and Ecuador has four points in sixth place along with Chile and Paraguay.
The host team began this qualifier with minus three points due to a CAS sanction after improperly including Byron Castillo in the previous qualifying match for Qatar-2022.
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SPORTS AND AFP
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