- Cavani & Suarez score as Uruguay win 3-0 in Colombia
- Vidal stars for Chile in win over Peru
- Follow Brazil-Venezuela from Sao Paulo
Brazil-Venezuela
It’s a real David and Goliath scenario in Sao Paulo as the most decorated World Cup winners take on the only South American nation never to qualify for the world finals. Richarlison, Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Jesus lead the line for Tite.
Chile 2-0 Peru
The game quickly swung from end to end. Arturo Vidal’s volley following a right-wing free-kick was blocked when it was heading for goal.
Nobody was stopping his next effort. From almost 30 yards, the veteran midfielder found the top corner with a stunning strike to put Chile ahead. Eleven minutes before half-time, Vidal doubled the hosts’ lead with an opportunistic goal.
On the stroke of half-time, Andre Carillo slipped Raul Ruidiaz through on goal, but Claudio Bravo made a superb save with his leg to keep the two-goal lead intact.
Bravo then made a fine save from Lapadula ten minutes into the second half and ultimately saw Chile through to record their first victory of their Qatar 2022 qualifying campaign.
Did you know?
- Arturo Vidal’s wonder goal made him one of very few box-to-box midfielders in the world to register 30 international goals.
- Chile have won five of their last six World Cup qualifiers against Peru.
- Peru have never won a World Cup qualifier away to Chile, losing eight and drawing two.
- Chile are fifth in South America and 17th overall on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Peru are sixth and 24th respectively.
Colombia 0-3 Uruguay
Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez were both on target as Uruguay won 3-0 in Colombia to storm on to six points from a possible nine in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ qualifying. Los Cafeteros have four points from three games after their heaviest home defeat to La Celeste in the World Cup preliminaries.
Cavani was heavily involved from the outset, and just five minutes in he got his reward with his 51st international goal, becoming just the seventh South American to surpass 50 international goals (see full chart below). Nahitan Nandez did brilliantly to rob possession and tee up the Manchester United man, who finished assuredly.
Colombia, and James Rodriguez, responded positively. The Everton man unleashed a shot from distance that went just wide. Cavani almost doubled Uruguay’s lead from a David Ospina parry, but the Colombia goalkeeper made a fine save.
Rodriguez then did well to feed Johan Mojica, whose cross was almost turned into his own net by Lucas Torreira, but Uruguay survived.
Colombia were quickly into their rhythm in the second half, and Duvan Zapata came close to heading home a Juan Cuadrado cross. However, moments later Luiz Suarez won and scored a penalty, sending Ospina the wrong way, to put Uruguay 2-0 up.
Los Cafeteros dominated possession thereafter, but struggled to break down a defence led by Diego Godin and after 73 minutes, Uruguay put the result out of sight. Darwin Nunez received the ball from Torreira and buried it in the bottom corner from outside the box.
Uruguay, with one eye on Brazil on Tuesday, withdrew Suarez and then Cavani, and in injury time Yerry Mina was sent off for a second yellow card.
Did you know?
- Suarez (63 goals) went outright fourth on South America’s all-time leading marksmen, outranking Ronaldo (62 goals). The 33-year-old is only one goal shy of Neymar, with Lionel Messi (71) and Pele (77) out in front.
- Cavani has now scored 16 goals in 39 World Cup qualifiers.
- Suarez became the first South American in history to score 25 goals in World Cup qualifying.
- Uruguay inflicted Colombia’s heaviest home defeat in a competitive match in 82 years.
South America’s top international scorers
Did you know?
- Without Neymar, Everton Ribeiro will wear the hallowed Brazil No10 shirt.
- Thiago Silva will captain Brazil for the 33rd time. The 36-year-old will play his 92nd international, taking him level with Kaka as the country’s joint-13th most-capped player.
- Brazil have won 15 and drawn one of their 16 World Cup qualifiers with Venezuela, scoring 62 goals and conceding just one in the process.
- Venezuela goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez is merely 1.75m tall. The 22-year-old, who produced some breathtaking saves and became the first goalkeeper to score at a FIFA U-20 World Cup™ at Korea Republic 2017, already has 24 senior caps to his name.
- Venezuela reached their highest-ever position on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking – 25th – in November 2019. They are currently 28th, above the likes of African champions Algeria, Serbia, Russia and regional rivals Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia.
- Four members of Jose Peseiro’s squad are presently playing their club football in Brazil. Romulo Otero, Yeferson Soteldo, Jefferson Savarino and 20-year-old Jan Carlos Hurtado are at Corinthians, Santos, Atletico Mineiro and Bragantino respectively.
Top scorers in Qatar 2022 qualifying
Stats correct before Friday’s games.
Quotes
“So, so, so, so much. Much more than you can imagine. I’ve won the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the Premier League. [The World Cup] is what’s missing for me.”
Firmino to FIFA.com on how much he wants to win Qatar 2022
“I know we’re going to qualify, I’m absolutely certain. I say that from the heart, just as I said it after the opening game of the previous qualifiers.”
Renato Tapia to FIFA.com
“It’s my trademark! Of course I’ve imagined doing the pigeon dance in the World Cup. The supporters really like it, it especially appeals to kids. I’ve done it for the Seleção together with Neymar, I do it for my club, and I want to score goals and do it many times at the 2022 World Cup.”
Richarlison to FIFA.com
“Imagining myself helping Venezuela qualify for their first World Cup gives me goosebumps. I couldn’t put a price on that. It would be the ultimate.”
Rolf Feltscher
“It was a mix of sentiments. The explosion of happiness to make my World Cup debut, to live through the atmosphere at a World Cup. And then the frustration of the two injuries that ruled me out of games. Having that experience, and being ruled out of games when I was desperate to play, has made me want to be at the next World Cup even more.”
Danilo to FIFA.com on Russia 2018
World Cup participations
Social media
Yesterday’s results
Bolivia 2-3 Ecuador
Argentina 1-1 Paraguay
