Cuiaba (Brazil) (AFP) – Argentina’s national team continued their run of success in the South American continent’s qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 win over hosts Paraguay, while Brazil squandered their first two points at home. Venezuela won 1-1 in the third round match.
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Argentina, champions of the World Cup in Qatar, led by their star Lionel Messi, sat on the bench before entering the second half, with 9 points from 3 wins in the combined group, just two points ahead of Brazil. 4 points behind Colombia and tied 2-2 with Uruguay.
Veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi scored the winner with an acrobatic shot “on the fly” in the third minute following a corner kick by Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo de Paul at the Monumental Stadium in capital Buenos Aires. 3 minutes before the end of the first half, Al-Qaim had his shot blocked.
In the 53rd minute, Messi was replaced by Julian Alvarez, who was brought on by coach Lionel Scaloni along with Lautaro Martínez, but the seven-time Golden Ball holder failed to score as the blocks blocked his face twice from a corner kick. Directly at goal from the right and then a free kick from in front of the penalty area in the second minute of second half stoppage time.
At the Pantanal Stadium in Guayaba, Venezuela stunned hosts Brazil with an 85th-minute equalizer through Eduard Bello, responding to Gabriel Magalic’s lead after a corner by Neymar (50).
Brazil have never lost an official match against Venezuela, while they have only failed to beat them once in World Cup qualifying, in 2009.
Ecuador beat Bolivia 2-1 and Chile beat Peru 2-0.
© 2023 AFP
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