Brazil went top of the South American World Cup qualifying group with an astonishing 4-0 win in Uruguay on Saturday as previous leaders Paraguay slumped to a 2-0 home defeat by Chile.
Bolivia, 6-1 winners at home to Argentina in La Paz two months ago, were brought back to earth with a bump as they lost 1-0 to a youthful Venezuela team in the same stadium at 3,600 metres above sea level.
Argentina, meanwhile, were relieved to run out 1-0 winners at home to Colombia and put their campaign back on track.
Saturday’s results left Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and Argentina as clear favourites to claim the four direct places at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The fifth-placed team faces the fourth side from Concacaf in a two-leg play off.
With five matches each to play, Brazil lead the 10-team group with 24 points, ahead of Paraguay on goal difference. The two sides meet in Recife on Wednesday.
Chile are one point behind in third place with Argentina a further point adrift in fourth. Fifth-placed Uruguay are five points behind Diego Maradona’s team on 17 and only one ahead of Venezuela, who they visit in Puerto Ordaz on Wednesday.
Colombia, eighth with 14, still have an outside hope but Bolivia, ninth with 12, appear to be out of contention.
Brazil, who appear to revel when the opposition attacks them, stunned Montevideo’s Centenario stadium when Daniel Alves scored with a 40-metre shot which was badly misjudged by goalkeeper Sebastian Viera in the 12th minute.
Juan headed the second against the run of play before halftime and Luis Fabiano blasted the third into the roof of the net early in the second half, his seventh goal of the qualifiers.
Although Luis Fabiano was sent off for a second bookable offence, Kaka won and converted a penalty in the 75th minute to give Brazil their first win in Uruguay since 1976. The hosts had Maximiliano Pereira sent off for a wild lunge at Ramires.
”When you play football, you always win,” said Brazil coach Dunga, implying that Uruguay had tried to intimidate his team with rough-arm tactics.
Venezuela avoided falling into the same trap as Argentina for their visit to La Paz.
Argentina suffered in the thin air last April after arriving two hours before kick off and fielding almost the same side which had played only four days earlier.
The Venezuelans dispatched an alternative team, made up of players from their under-20 side, and spent three weeks acclimatising at altitude.
Bolivia self-destructed in a 12-minute first-half spell when Marcelo Martins missed a penalty and Ronald Rivero put through his own goal.
”We showed that it’s possible to play at altitude and that it’s possible to face Bolivia on equal terms and win,” said goalkeeper Rafael Romo.
Defender Daniel Diaz volleyed Argentina’s winner early in the second half after Colombia had dominated the first half in Buenos Aires.
”I was furious at halftime,” Maradona said. ”In the first half, Colombia won all the 50-50 balls. That can’t happen in our own stadium.”
Matias Fernandez and Humberto Suazo scored in each half as Chile won in Paraguay, who have taken only one point from their last nine.
”Our opponents were clearly better than us,” said Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino. ”There’s not much to say.” – Reuters