In a nail-biting turn of events, Vinicius Júnior scored an late goal that gave Brazil a narrow 2-1 victory against Colombia during their World Cup qualifier match on Thursday. This triumph saved both the team and their countless supporters from further letdown.
If they had drawn, Brazil could have dropped to sixth place in the South American rankings. However, thanks to Vinicius Júnior's distant strike, Brazil climbed to second position, trailing only Argentina.
The leading six squads from South America have secured their places at next year’s World Cup hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Consequently, this win alleviated some stress for Brazil's coach, Dorival Júnior, as they prepare for their upcoming match against Argentina. Historically, the five-time winners have always qualified for every FIFA World Cup.
After playing 12 matches, Lionel Scaloni’s Argentine team holds 25 points, which places them four points ahead of Brazil (with 21 points from 13 games). They are nearing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Argentina will miss out on Lionel Messi for its match against Uruguay this Friday, just ahead of their anticipated encounter with Brazil in four days. In their previous meeting earlier in 2023, Argentina secured a narrow victory of 1-0 during the game held at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
The Brazilian midfield player Bruno Guimarães and defender Gabriel Magalhães received yellow cards in the game against Colombia and will be suspended for the upcoming match in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
Goalkeepers Alisson and Colombian defender Davinson Sánchez have been put under the concussion protocol and will consequently be absent from the upcoming fixture in the World Cup qualifiers.
Next week, Colombia will be hosting Paraguay.
VINICIUS SAVES BRAZIL
Brazil seemed more dynamic compared to their earlier matches, displaying swift movements and exceptional skills. An early penalty kick goal indicated that coach Dorival Júnior may have discovered a winning formation for his team.
However, a defensive error nearly jeopardized everything for the hosts in Brasilia until Vinicius Júnior produced a moment of genius.
In the sixth minute, Raphinha converted a penalty after Vinicius Júnior was fouled within the penalty area. Following this, Brazil maintained control of the ball but failed to create significant chances to double their lead in front of the 70,000 spectators present.
In the 41st minute, Colombia leveled the score with a precise cross-shot by Luis Díaz, which was set up by an assist from James Rodríguez. The Colombian team gained possession just outside Brazil’s penalty area following a substitution; Joeliton had come on for the injured player Gerson.
In the latter part of the game, both squads had trouble maintaining precision until Vinicius Júnior launched a distant shot that struck Jefferson Lerma before deflecting past goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
It was highly significant, and we merited the victory. The goal also belonged to me as recognition for my hard work," stated Vinicius Júnior about scoring his initial goal in this qualification series. "There was a sense of relief mixed with joy.
The Brazil coach, Dorival Júnior, stated that the victory was crucial "due to our current state, our position, and for the progress we are making."
Now we feel like we have found our way. While everything isn’t perfect, each iteration brings improvement.
The Colombia coach, Néstor Lorenzo, expressed his dissatisfaction with the outcome of the match.
Lorenzo stated, "We had another good game but ended up empty-handed." He added, "Once again, we felt we deserved better." Currently, Colombia holds the sixth position with 19 points.
PARAGUAY EDGES CLOSER
Under Coach Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay kept up their undefeated record after narrowly beating Chile 1-0 in a charged atmosphere in Asunción. Throughout much of the game, the home team controlled play and put constant pressure on Chile, which struggled to find chances to score.
Omar Alderete netted the decisive goal just after the hour mark using a traditional Paraguayan tactic: a well-executed set piece resulted in consecutive headers, which allowed Alderete to score from near the goal line. This boost significantly improved Paraguay’s prospects for securing a spot in the World Cup.
Paraguay holds 20 points and ranks fourth in the rankings. In contrast, Chile, having accumulated only nine points, sits at the bottom of the round-robin contest.
On Thursday, Peru defeated Bolivia with a score of 3-1. Andy Polo found the back of the net in the 37th minute, followed by Paolo Guerrero adding another goal just before halftime in the 45th minute. Edison Flores sealed the victory for Peru in the 82nd minute. Meanwhile, Miguel Terceros converted a penalty kick to put one past Peru in the 58th minute for Bolivia’s only goal.
Bolivia stays in seventh position with 13 points, maintaining their chance at qualifying for inter-continental playoff spots for the World Cup. In ninth place, Peru holds 10 points.
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