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10:05
Peru gets the playoff spot on the last qualifying date
This Tuesday the 18th date of the South American Qualifiers took place, the last one to define the qualifying positions for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Five matches were held in which the ten teams that make up the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) faced each other, all at the same time, 7:30 pm (Venezuela time).
It should be noted that on the previous date, held on Thursday and Friday of last week, the third and fourth were defined, although with the results of this Tuesday the order of classification was established with Brazil in the lead, Argentina second, Uruguay got the third place and Ecuador in fourth place. These are the ones with a direct pass.
With the victory, Peru achieves fifth place, which is the one-game playoff that will take place on June 14 in Doha, the capital of Qatar, and will face the team that emerges victorious from the match between Australia vs. United Arab Emirates which will take place on June 7.
Peru 2 Paraguay 0
Peru started as the great favorite to take the long-awaited fifth place in the classification. Before this game he had 21 points, Colombia with 20 and Chile with 19; They all had a chance of getting the playoff spot, but without a doubt, Peru depended on itself while the others had to win and hope that Bicolor would lose.
The match took place at the National Stadium of Peru and coach Gareca came out with his arsenal to achieve the great feat at home. The match began with the Peruvian initiative, constantly, in the rival area to try to get an early goal and Lapadula did so at minute 5, with a shot from the right after receiving an assist from Cueva. 1-0 partial.
From that moment on, the locals tried to control the game and created some chances in the rival area, but without being able to worry the goalkeeper. In the same way, the home team could not control the ball calmly and that led to some chances for Paraguay. It should be noted that Cueva was the subject of several dangerous entries.
However, at 42' those led by Gareca scored again. The last goal of the game came after a poor clearance by the red-and-white defense, it remains for a center to be made from the left and the ball remains low for Yotún to define with his left foot and cross it to goalkeeper Silva. Final 2-0 and Peru is in the playoffs.
The second half was a formality for the locals, they controlled the ball and created some chances. Visitors were noted to be out of ideas. At 83' Lapadula heads the crossbar and almost converts the third. With that score, the game ended and the Peruvians will go to the intercontinental playoff again.
Venezuela 0 Colombia 1
The other match that could define fifth place was that of Venezuela against Colombia, which took place at the Cachamay stadium in Puerto Ordaz and the coffee team won with a penalty goal by James Rodríguez.
The match began with the dominance and initiative of the Colombians, trying to create chances in the area defended by Fariñez, who was the great figure of the 'Vinotinto' team. However, the first for Venezuela was a header by Salomón Rondón that goalkeeper Ospina stopped without problems at minute 6.
At 8', Fariñez began his great performance by deflecting a cross from Luis Díaz that overflowed from the left and hit him looking for the far post, but the Venezuelan goalkeeper managed to neutralize with a great stretch. In the same way, at 14' and 15' the local goalkeeper stopped clear shots by Díaz that could open the scoring.
From that moment on, La Vinotinto took the initiative in the attack, Rondón at minute 22, took Cuesta off the mark and sent a powerful shot that Ospina deflected for a corner. Later, both teams created chances and the goalkeepers became responsible for their goals being unbeaten so far.
One of the clearest for the Venezuelans came at minute 33, when Salomón Rondón received a pass appealing to his speed, but was closely marked by Davinson and Cuesta, but the home side with a great movement took out the first defender and then the another, but he takes a left-footed shot that goes high and off the left post.
But at 41' there is a controversial play within the local area. Hernández, trying to clear a ball, kicks Borré, who was anticipating it. The action was reviewed by the VAR and after the referee verified, he indicated the maximum penalty. James was in charge of charging from the eleven steps and Fariñez stopped.
The referee ordered the action to be repeated because the Venezuelan goalkeeper had advanced a few steps after the line and on the second attempt, James sent it to the same sector, but with power and thus converted the only goal of the match at 45+4'. So they would go to rest.
In the second half, the locals played better, although not with many chances to threaten the rival area, except for a few from Rondón. Luis Díaz was the most unbalancing player and through him the visitors were able to sentence the match with a good pass to Quintero at 72' and a great assist to Preciado at 93'.
The victory of the coffee team was not enough to get fifth place, it was only one point away and for this reason it is left out of Qatar 2022.
Chile 0 Uruguay 2
The game was held at the San Carlos de Apoquindo stadium where the Chileans succumbed to the sky-blue qualifiers, who climbed to third place with this victory, moving Ecuador to fourth place, both qualified directly for the Qatar World Cup.
The match began with the dominance of the visitors who tried to impose their game, but the Chileans tried to react. Valverde had a chance at minute 8, but goalkeeper Cortés prevented the goal.
A clearer move came at 23' with a shot from mid-range by Rodrigo Bentancur, but the goalkeeper saved again.
At 26', Cavani left the match injured and replaced by Luis Suárez who was going to be the protagonist with a great goal. With a goalless score they would go to rest, but with minimal hopes, since Peru was 2-0 on the scoreboard and Colombia beat Venezuela by the minimum.
The second time would be with the same dynamic. The Chileans lacked football, something that the visitors would prove. At minute 78, a corner is made in favor of Uruguay, the ball is headed and it is served for Luis Suárez to execute a 'chilena' in the small area and score a great goal. 0-1 partial.
At 89' the Uruguayans sentenced the game through Valverde. The Real Madrid man manages to finish off a ball that was served to him from the edge of the area and the shot goes to the angle, thus achieving the final 0-2.
With this victory, Uruguay eliminated Chile, who had just lost to Brazil on the previous date.
Ecuador 1 Argentina 1
The only draw of the date took place at the Monumental Banco Pichincha stadium where the 'Tricolor' faced the 'Albiceleste', both classified, and the match ended with a score of 1-1.
In the first 20 minutes, the locals dominated the game and tried to surprise the goal defended by Rulli on several occasions, taking advantage of the speed of their forwards, overflow and counterattacks, but the Argentines began to put pressure on the local team and possession came to be part of those led by Scaloni.
However, at minute 23, Messi, González and Tagliafico, in a great combination in the rival area, served him the ball through the penalty spot so that Julián Álvarez, missing the first left foot, had another opportunity with a low right shot that sends to the bottom of the nets to score the partial 0-1.
The locals continued trying to equalize with their game at speed, but they were achieved with the great work of Otamendi and Rulli under the three posts. In this way they would go to rest with the advantage of those led by Scaloni.
In the second half, local initiatives continued. The Tricolor continued trying, but without achieving a tie. One of the clearest was at 75', when Mena took a free kick near the area and hit the barrier and managed to finish it off again with a volley and the shot passed very close to the post.
The same would happen at 81', but this time through Messi, who taking a free kick from mid-range, the ball skimmed the crossbar. At 87' Rulli stops another clear one from the locals.
However, at minute 89', Tagliafico touches the ball with his hand in the area and the referee, after reviewing the VAR, signals the maximum penalty. At 92', Enner Valencia missed the penalty, but took advantage of the goalkeeper's rebound and scored the tie. 1-1 final.
Bolivia 0 Brazil 4
The game with the highest score was Bolivia against Brazil at the Club Deportivo Atlético Morejón stadium, where the 'Canarinha' won 0-4 over the home team.
In the first 20 minutes the match was very balanced with chances for both teams, but Bolivia had a clear one in the 20th minute through Vaca who, dribbling in the area, ended up hitting Allison's body with his shot.
However, the first goal would come at minute 23, in a quick counterattack by the visitors that ended with a filtered pass from Bruno Guimaraes to Paquetá, who remained one-on-one with the goalkeeper and defined a low cross. 0-1 partial.
The second would come at the end of the second half, at minute 44 through Richarlison.
The play started from an overflow by Antony who, entering the area, took a shot that hit Sagredo and was served for Richarlison to push it into the back of the net. So they would go to rest.
In the second half the locals would try to discount. At 52', Allison takes a shot from Ramiro Vaca that was going to end in a goal. Great action from the Liverpool goalkeeper!
At 65 'the third would arrive, this time Paquetá served it from above to Bruno Guimaraes, who took a powerful shot to the top corner. 0-3 partial.
The last goal came at minute 90, when Bruno Guimaraes crossed the ball to Rodrygo and he took a shot that Cordano cleared, but Richarlison took advantage of the rebound to send the ball into the back of the net.
In this way, Brazil beats Bolivia at home and qualifies for the World Cup undefeated, although the postponed match with Argentina, which will be played on neutral ground on September 5, 2021, is still missing.
