MONTEVIDEO.- Uruguay qualified for a World Cup from which it seemed only at the beginning of the year, by beating Peru 1-0 on Thursday, which now has the playoff as the only gap available to reach Qatar.
Giorgian De Arrascaeta scored in the twilight of the first half and La Celeste managed to preserve the minimum lead to make sure of playing their fourth consecutive World Cup.
The victory left Uruguay in fourth position with the same 25-point record as Ecuador, third on goal difference. At the same time, Ecuador lost 3-1 on their visit to Paraguay, but in the end the Uruguayan victory assured them the classification.
The duel at the Centenario stadium ended with a touch of controversy. On the agony, the Peruvian Miguel Trauco threw a center that goalkeeper Sergio Rochet apparently contained within his goal. The video arbitration reviewed the action, but did not award the goal. The Peruvian players protested angrily.
Brazil 4, Chile 0
RIO DE JANEIRO.- Relentless and solvent, Brazil thrashed Chile 4-0 this Thursday and left La Roja clinging to a miracle to be able to go to the World Cup in Qatar via the playoffs.
Neymar, Vinicius Jr., Philippe Coutinho and Richarlison scored the goals for the “Verdeamarela” at the Maracana stadium to continue their undefeated run in the South American qualifiers.
After 16 games, Tite’s team obtained its 13th victory and reached 42 points to lead the table.
With Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay classified directly, the question to be answered in South America will be the team that will take fifth place to play a playoff against a team from Asia.
Peru (21 points), Colombia (20) and Chile (19) reach the last date with options.
The Peru-Paraguay, Venezuela-Colombia and Chile-Uruguay duels next Tuesday will define the owner of the fifth rung.
Despite the fact that their situation is the most complicated of the three in the race, the Chileans do not lower their arms.
“Out of the World Cup? How is that? We are not out of the World Cup yet,” said Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal. “We still have chances and we are going to fight until the end.”
Having the classification assured in advance did not make Brazil have mercy on Arturo Vidal and company.
Neymar scored the first goal of the game in the 44th minute when he converted from a penalty.
Two minutes later, Vinicius scored for the first time for Canarinha after an assist from Neymar.
Again from a penalty, Coutinho added the third in the 72nd minute.
Richarlison put definitive figures on the discounts.
Tite highlighted the “personality and confidence” of the players who were able to repeat with the national team the level they have with their clubs.
“That’s difficult due to all the expectation that wearing the national team shirt means,” said the coach.
Chile had a goal from Vidal that was annulled by video arbitration at 47, but it was all against Brazil in a Maracanã with almost 60,000 fans.
Costa Rica 1, Canada 0
SAN JOSÉ.- Costa Rica was placed in the World Cup playoff zone and incidentally prevented the leader Canada from formalizing its direct classification, by overcoming it this Thursday by 1-0 to take away the undefeated.
Celso Borges scored in stoppage time in the first half and this was enough to give the hosts the win at the National Stadium, against an opponent who was outnumbered for much of the duel.
The Ticos, who started the year far from the qualifying positions and who had just appointed Colombian Luis Fernando Suárez as their strategist, have not stopped adding points in their matches this year.
“These players have character and a lot of desire to represent the country, we beat the best team in CONCACAF”, Suárez valued.
They reached 19 units, with which they were placed in fourth place, displacing Panama, which on the same day only tied at home against bottom-ranked Honduras. The Costa Rican team would obtain with its current site the right to play a playoff against a team from Oceania, as a possible way to enter what would be its third consecutive World Cup.
Mexico 0, USA 0
MEXICO CITY.- The day before, coach Gerardo Martino said that, against the United States, Mexico was playing for World Cup qualification. In reality, the result only brought the two teams closer to Qatar, but without certifying their passage yet.
Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made saving saves this Thursday for a Tri that suffered again in attack and settled for a 0-0 draw against the United States.
Both teams remained in the direct qualifying zone for the World Cup.
“Sometimes the forcefulness has to do with calm, we have lost that calm in the last 25 meters of the field, not only when scoring a goal but when choosing a pass or a dribbling. That is an issue that we have to recover, but I prefer the fact of competing well with the United States”, said the Argentine Martino.
With the result at the Azteca Stadium, the Mexicans add 22 points and remain in third place in the final octagonal Concacaf, behind the United States, which has the same amount, but a better goal difference.
Both teams closed in on Canada, who lead the tie with 25 points but suffered their first loss, 1-0 on their visit to Costa Rica. A victory by Mexico or the United States would have placed the Canadians in Qatar.
Colombia 3, Bolivia 0
BARRANQUILLA, Colombia.- A Colombia fought with the goal had a torrid reconciliation with it and with the aspirations of advancing to the World Cup by way of the playoffs, by crushing an inoperative Bolivia 3-0 this Thursday.
Luis Díaz opened the scoring at the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium in Barranquilla after 39 minutes of a game in which he also shone with an assist.
“Thanks to the fans who attended, they gave us the support we needed. We continue to believe and so do they,” Diaz said.
Thus ended the curse of the Colombian team, which had gone blank during their previous seven games of the tie and seriously compromised their chances of qualifying for a third consecutive World Cup.
Miguel Ángel Borja extended the lead in the 72nd minute and Matheus Uribe scored the third in the 90th minute to ensure the victory of Colombia, which with 20 units climbed to sixth place in the tie, one point and one place below Peru and which grants the possibility of playing the intercontinental playoff against an Asian team as a gateway to Qatar.
Panama 1, Honduras 1
PANAMA.- Panama allowed itself to be overtaken at home in the second half and ended up signing this Thursday a 1-1 parity against bottom team Honduras, with which it lost control over the ticket to the World Cup playoffs.
Rolando Blackburn put the Canalera team ahead in the 23rd minute, but Kevin López Maldonado scored in the 65th to give the surprise for a catracho team that reached the last triple date of the tie with no chance of qualifying for Qatar.
Panama now has 18 points and was displaced by Costa Rica from fourth place in the octagonal, which grants the right to play a playoff against a team from Oceania. The Ticos undefeated Canada by beating them 1-0 and now have 19 units.
Jamaica 1, El Salvador 1
KINGSTON.- Andre Gray scored in the second half and Jamaica rescued this Thursday at home a 1-1 draw that mathematically extinguished El Salvador’s last hope of qualifying for the World Cup.
La Selecta took the lead on their visit to Kingston’s Independence Park through a goal from Eriq Zavaleta in the 21st minute, but Gray declared the tie in the 72nd minute.
With 10 points, El Salvador stalled in sixth place in the final octagonal heading to Qatar, without the possibility of even reaching a playoff. He has not played a World Cup since Spain 1982.
Jamaica, which reached the home match already eliminated, is seventh with eight units. His only participation in a World Cup was in France 1998.
Zavaleta, a central defender for the Los Angeles Galaxy, appeared in the heart of the box from a corner kick and headed down past goalkeeper Andre Blake.
Gray defined within the area to give equality to the Reggae Boyz.