Reigning world champions Argentina concede their third defeat in World Cup qualifying, while Brazil again only manage a draw against Venezuela.
Argentina suffered another defeat in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers when they lost 2-1 to Paraguay in Asuncion. The world champions started strongly when Lautaro Martinez, who plays for Inter Milan, scored in the eleventh minute to make it 1-0. However, the lead was short-lived as Antonio Sanabria, who plays for Torino, equalized after 19 minutes. The game was decided shortly after half-time when Omar Alderete, a central defender for Getafe, scored the winner for Paraguay.
Despite this defeat, Argentina remain top of the table. After eleven of 18 rounds, the world champions have a three-point lead over Colombia, who will play Uruguay away from home on Saturday night.
Brazil drop points - Vinicius Junior misses penalty
Brazil, who had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their first meeting with Venezuela in this qualifier, took the lead in Maturin shortly before half-time through Raphinha. The FC Barcelona player scored with a free kick from the left edge of the penalty area. However, substitute Telasco Segovia equalized shortly after the restart.
Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior had the best opportunity to secure Brazil's third win in a row. After hitting the post in the first half, he failed to beat Venezuela goalkeeper Rafael Romo with a penalty after just over an hour.
The draw saw Brazil climb to third place in the table, at least temporarily. The gap to leaders Argentina is five points. The top six of the ten teams qualify directly for the World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico the year after next. The seventh-placed team has the chance to qualify via an intercontinental play-off tournament.
Table: World Cup qualifiers in South America
SDA
