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Breathing again Struggling Brazil beats Chile 2-0 in World Cup qualifier
Updated: Sunday October 07, 2001 10:11 PM
CURITIBA, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil overcame a sluggish start to beat Chile 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday and sharply improve its chances of reaching next year's Cup. Edilson and Rivaldo scored in the second half to guarantee the win and boost Brazil into sole possession of fourth place in the South American group behind Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador. "This was a game we simply had to win," goalie Marcos said. "But we took advantage of our opportunities and deserved the victory." Sunday's results leave Argentina, which is already through to the finals, nine points clear at the top of the South American group with 39 points from 16 games. Paraguay is next with 30 points, ahead of Ecuador (29 points), Brazil (27) and Uruguay (25). The top four teams qualify automatically. "It was an important victory," AS Roma midfielder Emerson said. "This gives us some tranquility." Still, Brazil again failed to deliver its famed offensive punch against a weak Chilean squad that is in last place in the South American group, with 11 losses in 16 games and already eliminated from contention for a World Cup berth. The Brazilians started fast against the cautious Chilean team, and a slick dribble by Vampeta was enough to bring shouts of "Ole" from the sellout crowd of 55,000 at Couto Pereira stadium. But it was Chile that threatened first, when Juventus striker Marcelo Salas drove in on the right side but couldn't get a shot off. Play got sloppy on the rain-slicked pitch, and the crowd grew impatient with Brazil's inability to move the ball past the dogged Chilean defense. With FC Barcelona star Rivaldo inoperative as playmaker, Brazil failed to mount a coordinated attack and the game bogged down. At 36 minutes, Rivaldo came close on a free kick from 20 meters (yards) out, but goalie Carlos Toro dove to knock it away from the upper left corner. Marcelinho Paraiba wasted two chances, and the crowd booed as the half ended. But Brazil was a different team in the second half, when Betis striker Denilson replaced Marcelinho Paraiba. In the 52nd minute, goalie Marcos sent a long kick upfield and found Edilson, who had joined the squad as a last-minute replacement for the injured Ronaldo. Edilson caught it on the run, cut inside defender Raul Munoz and shot low past Toro to make it 1-0. The goal gave Brazil a lift, and in the 63rd minute Roma defender Cafu drove to the right baseline and fired a cross into the penalty area. Rivaldo hit a left-footed half-volley to deflect the ball into the near corner for a 2-0 lead. Eight minutes later, Denilson made the play of the game, twisting his defender around and dribbling the length of the field before passing to Rivaldo, whose shot was smothered. Rivaldo savors rare applause Rivaldo, often the subject of bitter criticism over his national team performances, savored some rare applause after his performance. "It's the first time I've left the field to applause playing for the national team," said the Barcelona player who scored the second goal. "I feel very happy. I'm very proud to serve the national team." The former World Player of the Year has been repeatedly accused of saving his best for his Spanish club and in the past has threatened to turn his back on Brazil, especially after being jeered during home matches. Last year, former coach Emerson Leao dropped him altogether for several matches to ease the pressure. Despite the win, which greatly improved Brazil's chances of qualifying, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said he was not banking on a trip to Japan and South Korea next year even if his team made sure of their place. "I'm going to the end of the qualifying competition, then they can analyse my work," he said. The man known as Big Phil also hit out at other Brazilian coaches, who he accused of seeking his job. "Before, when we were up to our necks in water, nobody wanted this job," he said. "Now, everybody's after it." --- Lineups: Brazil: Marcos, Lucio, Edmilson, Juan, Cafu, Emerson, Vampeta, Rivaldo (Juninho Paulista, 89), Roberto Carlos (Belletti, 82), Marcelinho Paraiba (Denilson, 46) and Edilson. Chile: Carlos Toro, Jorge Vargas, Hector Robles, Raul Munoz, Victor Cancino, Cristian Montecinos, Marco Villaseca, Rodrigo Perez (Melendez, 79), David Pizarro (Jaime Riveros, 84) Marcelo Salas and Rodrigo Valenzuela (Reinaldo Navia, 55) Referee: Horacio Elizondo, Argentina.
Batistuta's comeback goal denies ParaguayASUNCION, Paraguay -- A late goal by Gabriel Batistuta helped Argentina to a 2-2 draw in Paraguay on Sunday, denying the home side the three points it needed to confirm its place in next year's World Cup finals. Back in the side after a year, Argentina's best ever goalscorer coolly slotted home an angled shot in the 73rd minute to level the game and help his side to a point. That goal came after Paraguay had taken the lead with a 51st-minute penalty from goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert. Argentina drew level with a 66th-minute header from Mauricio Pochettino before Gustavo Morinigo made it 2-1 four minutes later. Pochettino appeared to emulate Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand-of-God" goal against England at the 1986 World Cup. The result leaves Argentina, which is already through to the finals, top of the South American group with 39 points from 16 games. Paraguay is second with 30 points, ahead of Ecuador (29), Brazil (27) and Uruguay (25). The top four teams qualify automatically, while the fifth-place team faces a playoff against Australia. Paraguay is now guaranteed at least that play-off spot and needs just two points from its final two games against Venezuela and Colombia to ensure direct qualification. In an untidy first half, Paraguay had much of the possession, but Argentina created most of the chances. Buoyed by a packed 43,000 crowd in the Defensores del Chaco stadium, the home side could have been up 2-0 within 15 minutes. In the second minute, Jose Cardozo headed a cross down to Morinigo, who hit his shot into the side netting. Ten minutes later, Cardozo almost stole in again, chesting down a cross, turning goalward, before being robbed of possession by Walter Samuel, just as Cardozo readied to strike home. But as the half wore on, Argentina settled down and began to create problems. In the 26th minute, Argentina's chief conductor Juan Sebastian Veron found Batistuta and the AS Roma striker went close. Six minutes later, Argentina was within a whisker of taking the lead. Veron floated a free-kick deep into the area, Samuel escaped his markers and clipped the ball onto the post. In the 43rd minute, Argentina had a vitual action reply chance, Veron sending another long free-kick to the far post and Samuel again breaking free, this time only to send his header wide. But after Morinigo had volleyed just wide in the 44th minute, it was the home side who finally got the breakthrough, in the 51st minute, when Samuel was adjudged to have bundled over Carodozo. Chilavert stepped up and clipped the ball home. Five minutes later, Morinigo slipped past Argentina's last man and almost made it two, but Argentina keeper Pablo Cavallero came off his line and robbed the ball from the striker's feet to save his side. In the 65th minute, Kily Gonzalez picked his way through the Paraguayan defense before releasing the ball to Ariel Ortega, whose shot was tipped over. From the resulting corner Pochettino headed home. Paraguay's response was rapid. In the 70th minute Francisco Arce hit a free-kick to the far post and Morinigo succeeded where Samuel failed, sending his header in. That finally spurred Argentina into top gear. In the 73rd minute, Javier Zanetti slipped a pass through to Claudio Lopez, who broke into the box and sent a shot at goal, which Chilavert could only parry away. Batistuta pounced on the rebound and rolled the ball home from a tight angle with two defenders closing in. Five minutes later, "Batigol" almost made it two, sending a header goalward from an Ortega cross that Chilavert just managed to stop. Then in one of the game's best moves, Veron cut in goalward from the left flank and unleashed a fierce dipping effort that Chilavert somehow managed to flick onto the bar and away. After the move, Veron and Chilavert applauded each other in mutual respect, a fitting end to a balanced match between South America's top sides. After the game, Veron admitted his side had not been at its best, but said Argentina had again showed its steely mentality. "Even when we lost our concentration, we never lost our determination ... perhaps we did not shine as before, but we did things well," the Manchester United star said. --- Lineups: PARAGUAY: Jose Luis Chilavert, Francisco Arce, Celso Ayala, (Juan Caceres, 81), Carlos Gamarra, Denis Caniza, Victor Quintana, (Claudio Morel Rodriguez, 72), Estanislao Struway, Gustavo Morinigo, Guido Alvarenga, Roque Santa Cruz, Jose Cardozo, (Mauro Caballero, 73). ARGENTINA: Pablo Cavallero, Roberto Ayala, Mauricio Pochettino, Walter Samuel, Javier Zanetti, Matias Almeida, Juan Pablo Sorin, (Claudio Lopez-64), Juan Sebastian Veron, Ariel Ortega, (Pablo Aimar, 80), Gabriel Batistuta, Christian Gonzalez. Uruguay, Colombia in trouble after 1-1 drawMONTEVIDEO, Uruguay -- Uruguay tied 1-1 with Colombia on Sunday, leaving both sides struggling to qualify for next year's World Cup finals. Uruguay took the lead with a 34th-minute penalty by Federico Magallanes. Colombia leveled the game in the 66th minute with a long range effort from Arnulfo Valentierra. The result leaves Uruguay fifth in the qualifying group with 25 points, two points behind Brazil, which won 2-0 Sunday against Chile, with two games left. Copa America champion Colombia remains sixth on 21 points. The top four teams in the qualifiers go through to the finals, while the fifth placed team must face a play-off with Australia to secure its berth. In an edgy first half, Uruguay were the better side, controlling the midfield, snuffing out Colombia's forays forward and looking dangerous every time they moved forward, especially when playmaker Alvaro Recoba had the ball. The home side almost went a goal ahead in the 11th minute when Recoba's free-kick was parried away by Oscar Cordoba in the Colombia goal, the ball was whipped back into the danger zone from the right, only to see Magallenes produce a flashy scissors-kick that sent the ball wide. In the 26th minute, Uruguay attacked again. A charging run from the midfield by Washington Tais, ended in a neat one-two with Recoba, before Tais flew into the box and flashed a shot over. Eight minutes later Uruguay got its goal, when the referee judged that Mario Yepes impeded Pablo Montero and awarded the spot-kick following a corner. Magallanes stepped up and struck the ball home, sending Cordoba the wrong way. Three minutes from halftime, Uruguay almost made it two. Recoba picked the ball up on the halfway line, surged through the Colombian defense and finally powered a shot on goal that Cordoba did well to save. A goal down, Colombia came out fired up in the second half, knowing they badly needed a win. Faustino Asprilla came to life up front, while Freddy Grisales and Valentierra began to win the battle in midfield. In the 61st minute, Colombia went close. Asprilla danced his way through Uruguay's defense, slipped a ball into Valentierra just outside the box, who stepped away from his markers and curled a shot that just fell wide of the post. Five minutes later, it was all square. Colombia broke forward from midfield and the ball was passed to Valentierra, in space 25 meters (yards) out. Taking two steps forward, the playmaker spotted Uruguay goalkeeper Gustavo Munua off his line and slammed his shot over the keeper, into the back of the net. Uruguay's response was immediate. Dario Silva broke down the right of the box, dragged the ball back to Garcia who slid the ball wide of an open goal. As the game drifted into its last 20 minutes, both sides threw everything forward. In the 74th minute, Recoba strode through the midfield and unleashed a fierce 25-meter (yard) effort, which Cordoba could only parry straight to Silva. But the striker could not take advantage, sending his scissor-kick wide of the goal from 10 yards out, with just Cordoba to beat. A minute later Colombia struck back, when Valentierra sent another long-range effort past Munua, but this time also over the bar. With 10 minutes left Uruguay saw Ivan Lopez clear a header by Richard Morales off the line and five minutes later, it was the Colombian keeper who denied the home side, diving superbly to his left to send a free-kick by Pablo Garcia wide. In the dying seconds, Uruguay's captain Pablo Montero saved his team, clipping the ball for a corner as two Colombian attackers moved in to send a Velentierra cross into the net. --- Lineups: URUGUAY: Gustavo Munua, Alejandro Lembo, Paolo Montero, Dario Rodriguez, Gianni Guigou (Fabian Canobbio, 84), Washington Tais, Gonzalo De los Santos, Pablo Garcia, Alvaro Recoba, Dario Silva (Richard Morales, 77), Federico Magallanes (Javier Chevanton, 45). COLOMBIA: Oscar Cordoba, Ivan Lopez, Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, Mario Yepes, Gerardo Bedoya (Roberto Cortes, 45), Jorge Bolano, John Restrepo, Freddy Grisales, Arnulfo Valentierra, Victor Hugo Aristizabal (Elkin Murillo, 73), Faustino Asprilla.
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