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Ecuador rising Bolivia, Peru suffer World Cup qualifying losses
Updated: Sunday October 07, 2001 10:47 AM
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) -- Ecuador continued its impressive run in World Cup qualifying Saturday, trouncing Bolivia 5-1 to edge closer to its first ever finals berth. Ulises de la Cruz, Agustin Delgado, Ivan Kaviedes, Angel Fernandez and Luis Gomez all scored for Ecuador while Gonzalo Galindo netted the lone goal for the hosts. Meanwhile, host team Venezuela blanked Peru 3-0 in a match played in San Cristobal, winning its third consecutive triumph in the 16th round of South American qualifying. With Saturday's victory, Ecuador secured its spot as one of the top teams in South America with 29 points from 16 matches. Bolivia has 14 points from 16 matches. Argentina has already qualified for the 2002 World Cup finals, with Paraguay following closely behind and Ecuador, Brazil and Uruguay fighting to fill the two remaining spots. The fate of South America's fifth-place side will be determined in a playoff against Australia, the Oceania representative. Bolivia, which played with a young, inexperienced team in a practically empty stadium, was already out of the running before Saturday. The high altitude of La Paz, which sits at 3,600 meters (11,811 feet) above sea level, typically intimidates other South American teams. But it was not an issue for Ecuador, which arrived in Bolivia on Sunday to acclimatize. Ecuador plays in Quito at about 2,850 meters (9,350 feet). The first 10 minutes of Saturday's game was even, with two assertive teams calmly passing the ball in the midfield. That quickly changed when, in the 12th minute, de la Cruz scored a flawless goal, surprising both Bolivia's goalie and team members who were nowhere near de la Cruz. Agustin Delgado slid the next goal in in the 22nd minute, foreshadowing the route. The beginning of the second half was marked by more urgency on both sides. Kaviedes' point-blank shot in the 57th minute gave Ecuador a 3-0 lead, but Bolivia's Gonzalo Galindo quickly answered in the 59th minute, adding a little excitement to the lopsided game. The suspense didn't last long, however, as Ecuador's skill, mixed with its intense desire to qualify for the Cup, quickly overrode Bolivia's apprehension at losing its first game on home turf in 20 years. With impressive stamina, Fernandez scored in the 89th minute and Gomez joined in on the scoring spree with a goal in the 91st. In Venezuela, the result eliminated Peru from qualifying, leaving the squad with 15 points in 16 games. Peru had needed to win its three remaining matches and Brazil and Uruguay had to lose theirs for Peru to advance. Venezuelan defender Wilfredo Alvarado opened the scoring in the 52nd minute with a header and headed another across into the Peruvian goal at 67 minutes to make it 2-0. Forward Ruberth Moran finished the scoring by slipping past three defenders in the 78th minute. Venezuelan midfielder Miguel Mea Vitali missed a penalty kick at 49 minutes. Venezuela, long eliminated from qualifying, has 13 points with two games left to play. Venezuela has collected 10 out of 15 possible points in its last five games, and had defeated Uruguay and Chile in its last two matches, both by 2-0 margins. Venezuela dominated midfield play early in the game, with Peru settling into a strong defensive pattern and trying to capitalize on fast breaks. In the second half, Peru's frustration began to show as it was unable to mount counterattacks to match Venezuela's fast-paced offensive play. Peru finished with nine men when Miguel Rebosio was expelled at 45 minutes after downing Venezuelan midfielder Ricardo Paez. Defender Ernesto Arakaki was ejected in the 71st minute. Chilean referee Mario Sanchez also expelled Venezuelan forward Juan Arango for having hit Peruvian goalkeeper Miguel Miranda while Venezuela celebrated Alvarado's second goal. The game was played before 25,000 fans at People's Stadium in San Cristobal, 650 kilometers (335 miles) southwest of Caracas.
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