In a scintillating night of football, the South American FIFA World Cup qualifiers witnessed Argentina’s commanding 3-0 victory over a 10-man Bolivia in La Paz, while Brazil secured a hard-fought 1-0 win against Peru. These matches added further excitement to the ongoing journey towards the World Cup.
Argentina’s Dominance: Despite the absence of their iconic leader, Lionel Messi, Argentina displayed their prowess on the pitch. Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Tagliafico, and Nicolas Gonzalez were the architects of an impressive 3-0 triumph. Chelsea midfielder Fernandez nearly opened the scoring with a spectacular long-range effort, brilliantly denied by Guillermo Viscarra.
Julian Alvarez, a lively presence, played a pivotal role in Argentina’s opener as he provided a low cross for Angel Di Maria. Fernandez, with a perfectly timed run into the box, calmly slotted the ball home. Bolivia’s task became even more daunting when Roberto Fernandez received a red card for a reckless challenge on Cristian Romero.
At halftime, Argentina held a comfortable 2-0 lead, with Tagliafico heading in a floated Di Maria free-kick. The three-time World Cup winners continued to dominate in the second half, with Alvarez hitting the post and Viscarra busy fending off efforts from Rodrigo De Paul and Di Maria. Gonzalez sealed the victory with a left-footed drive, capitalizing on hesitant defending from the home side.
Coach Scaloni praised his team’s performance, highlighting their fearlessness with the ball and explaining Messi’s absence, citing his discomfort after his winning goal against Ecuador.
Brazil’s Last-Minute Triumph: Brazil faced a resilient Peru side, and it seemed they might be denied until the final moments. Raphinha’s powerful strike in the 72nd minute was brilliantly saved by Pedro Gallese. However, in the dying moments, Neymar delivered a precise corner, and Marquinhos met it with a glancing header that found the far corner of the net, securing a crucial 1-0 win for Brazil.
Other Matches: In other matches, Uruguay, under Marcelo Bielsa’s management, faced a setback with a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador. Agustin Canobbio opened the scoring for Uruguay, but Ecuador’s Felix Torres struck twice to secure victory.
Colombia and Chile played to a goalless draw, with both teams showing promise in possession but lacking a cutting edge.
Venezuela raised hopes of their first-ever World Cup appearance with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Paraguay. Salomon Rondon converted an injury-time penalty after VAR intervention spotted a handball by Paraguay’s Ivan Piris.
As the South American World Cup qualifying campaign unfolds, Brazil leads on goal difference, followed closely by Argentina. Colombia is third with four points, while Uruguay and Venezuela trail closely behind. The journey to the expanded 48-team World Cup promises more thrilling encounters, with six teams securing direct qualification and the seventh heading to an intercontinental playoff.https://www.sportiwe.com/
