Football is crazy. Venezuela were firm favourites to seize South America’s ticket to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament at the start of the final matchday. They were even more overwhelming favourites towards the end of the first half. La Vinotinto led Colombia at home. Bolivia, who needed to better Venezuela’s result, were drawing and struggling against the mighty Brazil.
Then an unbelievable turnaround transpired. Roberto Fernandez earned La Verde a penalty. Miguel Terceros scored it. Colombia forward Luis Suarez transformed into his Uruguayan namesake and struck four times to inspire a 6-3 victory in Venezuela. When the final whistles sounded, Bolivia were in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament and Venezuela’s qualification hopes were over.
Elsewhere, Ecuador edged Argentina to finish second, but Lionel Messi, without kicking a ball, finished as the campaign’s leading marksman.
Results
Ecuador 1-0 Argentina
Peru 0-1 Paraguay
Venezuela 3-6 Colombia
Bolivia 1-0 Brazil
Chile 0-0 Uruguay
Ecuador 1-0 Argentina
Ecuador goal: Valencia pen (45+13)
La Tricolor equalled their best-ever finish of second in the South American qualifiers. The Guayaquil game tipped in their favour when, just after the half-hour, Enner Valencia raced through on goal and was tripped by Nicolas Otamendi, who was duly sent off. Ecuador then won a penalty for a Nicolas Tagliafico challenge on Angelo Preciado, and Valencia made no mistake from 12 yards. Felipe Caicedo was dismissed for a second bookable offence early in the second half, but Sebastian Beccacece’s side held on to equal Brazil’s record for the fewest goals conceded in one campaign: a mere five in 18 games.
Valencia went joint-second on Ecuador’s all-time top scorers in South American qualifying, level with Felipe Caicedo (15 goals) and one behind Agustin Delgado (16).
“When your opponents try to play, there are times you have to suffer, and that what’s happened to us. But we were always in the game.”
Lionel Scaloni, Argentina coach
Peru 0-1 Paraguay
Paraguay goal: Matias Galarza (78)
Los Guaraníes, who looked down and out when Gustavo Alfaro took charge, made it six wins, five draws and only one loss under the Argentinian. Emerging midfielder Galarza continued his fine form for his country with the only goal in Lima. An extremely disappointing campaign crashed to a lamentable end for Peru, though they at least avoided the wooden spoon – something that went to arch-rivals Chile.
Paraguay beat Peru for the first time in almost 11 years. Since a 2-1 win in a 2014 friendly, in which Gustavo Gomez and Tony Sanabria played, La Albirroja had lost nine and drawn three of their 12 encounters with La Blanquirroja.
Venezuela 3-6 Colombia
Venezuela goals: Telasco Segovia (3), Josef Martinez (12), Salomon Rondon (76)
Colombia goals: Yerry Mina (10), Luis Suarez (42, 50, 59 & 67), Jhon Cordoba (78)
Venezuelans came out en masse in Maturin to celebrate what they believed would be FIFA Play-Off Tournament qualification. They were euphoric early on, but inconsolable at full-time. Suarez, who had never scored for his country, was on target four times to inspire a mind-blowing victory. The only disappointment for Colombia was that Luis Diaz was unable to ripple net, meaning Lionel Messi finished as the campaign’s leading marksman.
“I wish Venezuela strength. We went through it too, four years ago. Colombia are always hungry. Over the next nine months we can dream of bigger things.”
James Rodriguez, Colombia player
Venezuela 3-6 Colombia equalled the record for highest-scoring game in the history of the CONMEBOL preliminaries shared by Ecuador 3-6 Argentina in 1960, Venezuela 3-6 Peru in 1965 and Chile 7-2 Colombia in 1965. Suarez, for his part, became just the sixth player to net four goals in a South American qualifier after Zico, Careca, Ivan Zamorano, Romario and Uruguayan legend Luis Suarez.
Bolivia 1-0 Brazil
Bolivia goal: Miguel Terceros pen (45+4)
There was gloom in El Alto when news filtered through that Venezuela were winning. There were scenes of unbridled ecstasy after 90 minutes. Miguel Terceros, the indubitable star of Bolivia’s campaign, held his nerve from the spot to score one of the most important goals in La Verde’s history. Carlos Lampe’s unfaltering hands were also central to Oscar Villegas’s side getting another shot at World Cup qualification.
Bolivia didn’t beat Brazil in the preliminaries until 1993, but have now won four, draw two and lost only one of their last seven home qualifiers against the five-time world champions.
Chile 0-0 Uruguay
La Roja delivered one of their finest displays of this campaign, but were unable to break down a Celeste backline masterfully marshalled by Ronald Araujo in Santiago. At the other end, Cristian Olivera and Darwin Nunez looked lively, but Marcelo Bielsa’s men were forced to settle for fourth place.
“The qualifiers ended well for us. We had a strong start, a lull in the middle, and a strong finish. It would have been ideal to win today, or at least deserve it, so that the analysis would be more positive.”
Marcelo Bielsa, Uruguay coach
Chile, with Lawrence Vigouroux in the sticks, kept their first clean sheet against Uruguay in over 10 years. Claudio Bravo had performed heroics to keep their previous one in the Copa America quarter-finals.
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World Cup participations
Brazil (22)
Argentina (18)
Uruguay (14)
Chile (9)
Paraguay (8)
Colombia (6)
Peru (5)
Ecuador (4)
Bolivia (3)
Venezuela (0)
Best World Cup finish
Brazil: Champions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 & 2002)
Argentina: Champions (1978, 1986 & 2022)
Uruguay: Champions (1930 & 1950)
Chile: Third place (1962)
Peru: Quarter-finals (1970 & 1978)
Colombia: Quarter-finals (2014)
Paraguay: Quarter-finals (2010)
Ecuador: Last 16 (2006)
Bolivia: Group stage (1930, 1950 & 1994)
