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Uruguay qualified for the World Cup and Peru, Colombia and Chile will seek the playoff position on the last date
This Thursday, four of the five matches of date 17 of the South American qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup were held. Brazil vs. Chile, Colombia vs. Bolivia, Uruguay vs. Peru and Paraguay vs. Ecuador.
This Friday the match between Argentina vs. Venezuela to end the day. It should be noted that before starting these matches Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador were already qualified for the World Cup and La Celeste joined the last direct pass by beating Peru by the minimum.
Date 18 (the last) will be next Tuesday, March 29, where each game will begin at 7:30 pm (Venezuela time) and they only have the opportunity to get the playoff position Peru (21 points), Colombia (20) and Chile (19). Whoever ranks 5th in the standings will face a single playoff match against a team from Asia.
Brazil 4 Chile 0
The Brazilian team faced the Chilean team at the Maracana stadium in a match where the locals thrashed with a score of 4-0.
The meeting was characterized by a clear dominance of the 'verdeamarelos' who from the first minutes tried to impose their game and, furthermore, they were supported by the tranquility of being classified for the World Cup and being the first in the group.
However, Claudio Bravo was very safe under the three posts and stopped several Brazilian initiatives that were directed by Neymar, Anthony and a header from Thiago Silva after a corner that the Chilean goalkeeper saved in the 22nd minute.
But at minute 4, Isla commits an infraction against Neymar inside the area and although the action at the time seemed unsuccessful because it seemed that the Chilean went to the ball, it was possible to observe in the repetition that he touched the Brazilian's leg. The referee sentenced the maximum penalty and at 43' Neymar charged from the eleven steps, deceiving Bravo and converting the partial 1-0.
Two minutes later, Claudio Bravo serves poorly and the Brazilian attackers take advantage of it, they pass the ball to Vinicius, who entered only from the left sector of the area and the creeping shot slips through the center of the goalkeeper's legs and goes to the bottom of the nets to convert the partial 2-0 and thus they would go to rest.
Starting the second half, at 46', in a fast attack by the Chileans, Montecinos sends a cross down the right wing and Vidal enters through the center to score the discount, however, the referee, upon reviewing the VAR, invalidates the action for an offside by Vidal.
'La Roja' kept trying, but time was running out. At 71' there was an action that ended in a penalty in favor of Brazil. Coutinho was in charge of charging the maximum penalty and thus sending the ball to the back of the net. 3-0 partial.
The game was already sentenced, but there would be one more goal that would come in the 90th minute, after a left-footed shot by Richarlison that ended in the final 4-0. With this result, Brazil consolidates itself in the first position with 42 points and on Tuesday it will face Bolivia in La Paz.
For its part, Chile remains with 19 units and will face Uruguay at home. 'La Roja' does not depend on itself; Peru and Colombia have a better chance of getting the playoff spot.
Colombia 3 Bolivia 0
At the same time , the 'coffee growers' faced the Bolivians at the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium. Those led by the Venezuelan César Farías, already eliminated, faced a Colombian team that needed to win to continue in the fight for a place in the World Cup and the home team ended up winning with a final score of 3-0.
The first was for the Colombians at minute 4, when James Rodríguez passed it to Luis Díaz and he dribbled past the visiting goalkeeper and then gave it to Cuadrado to define, but the shot was deflected by a Bolivian player.
The home side continued their offensive game, creating clear chances through Cuadrado at 12' and James at 23', but at 38' Luis Díaz received a long pass from Cuadrado, the striker controls the right sector of the area, facing and launches a shot that pierces the nets, impossible for the Bolivian goalkeeper. 1-0 partial and thus they would go to rest.
The second half would begin with the same dynamic in the match. It was a monologue of the locals, the occasions did not stop reaching the goal defended by Cordano, but the home team lacked effectiveness to extend the result, until at 72 ', Luis Díaz sent a cross to the area that Miguel Ángel Borja headed and sends it to the bottom of the nets. 2-0 partial.
At 88' the third would arrive for Colombia, after a shot by Lerma that hit the post, the rebound fell to Matheus Uribe, who headed the left post to sentence the game with the final 3-0.
The Colombians, with 20 points, will face Venezuela as visitors on the last date, even with options to obtain the playoff position, only if they win and Peru lose or draw against Paraguay. For its part, Bolivia will face Brazil at home.
Uruguay 1 Peru 0
In the same way, Uruguay received Peru at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo, in a duel marked by controversy in the last few minutes, but which ended with a sky-blue victory with the only goal of the match through Arrascaeta.
The first dangerous play was for the Peruvians, since Lapadula at minute 4 headed a ball that goalkeeper Rochet stopped without problems. At 11' the same goalkeeper stopped another shot by Lapadula that was generated after a bad start by Giménez, who gave it to the player from Peru and he almost converted the first.
The locals dominated the game, but they did not generate clear goal chances, something that the visitors did produce and waited for the moment to counterattack. However, the only goal of the match came at 41' after a rebound from the crossbar and Arrascaeta took the opportunity to open the scoring. In this way they would go to rest.
Starting the second half, at 47' Valverde took a powerful mid-distance shot that hit the crossbar. The one from Madrid had already warned in the first half.
The rest of the game was characterized by a power struggle in the center of the field and came the parade of changes by both teams to find an opportunity to extend the advantage or tie. But at 90+1', González sends a cross into the Uruguayan area that Rochet catches and in the jump back the goalkeeper crosses the line with everything and the ball.
Peru's substitutes demanded that the action be reviewed in the VAR, but the referee did not give in. In the repetitions it was possible to clearly see how the ball had entered and it should have been the tie, but the arbitration controversy was the protagonist in the final stretch of the match. That way it would end with the victory of 'La Celeste' and their qualification for the World Cup in Qatar.
Uruguay manages to reach fourth place with 25 points, the same as Ecuador, which is third. On the last date they will be measured as visitors against Chile, which still has a chance of getting the playoff spot. For its part, Peru will face Paraguay at home and is the favorite candidate to achieve the long-awaited fifth position.
The other match was that of Paraguay against Ecuador held at the Antonio Aranda Encina stadium whose final result was 3-1, with goals from Robert Morales (9'), Piero Hincapié (45+1') own goal and Miguel Almirón ( 54') by the locals and the discount for the visitors was through Jordi Caicedo in the 85th minute of the penalty.
Ecuador, already classified with 25 points in third position, will face Argentina at home on Tuesday the 29th on the 18th, while at the same time, Paraguay (eliminated) will face Peru as a visitor.
