Argentina returned to its strengths with a tight 1-0 victory against last-place Peru, on the last day of the year of the South American qualifier for the 2026 World Cup, in which Brazil disappointed again and drew 1-1 at home against the revitalized Uruguay .
On the last date of 2024, Ecuador achieved a category victory against Colombia 1-0, Chile came out of the hole with an essential 4-2 victory against Venezuela, while Paraguay took a 2-2 draw from Bolivia, which meant the celebration
Argentina leads the table with 25 points, five more than its runner-up Uruguay, while Ecuador (third) is also in the direct classification zone with 19, the same as Colombia (fourth) with the worst goal balance. Brazil barely reaches the fifth place with 18 points and Paraguay closes the group of teams with a direct pass with 17, while Bolivia occupies seventh place, in the playoff zone, with thirteen units.
albiceleste party
The scorer Lautaro Martínez scored with scissors in the 55th minute after a cross from Lionel Messi and it was enough for the world champion to obtain a balmy victory and sink Peru into the pre-World Cup pit, on the verge of elimination.
The Albiceleste did not play a brilliant match in La Bombonera but needed the victory to chase away ghosts after the 2-1 loss against Paraguay last Thursday.
To avoid downturns, coach Lionel Scaloni will make adjustments in 2025, as announced, and will call up players who are fully active.
Brazil still hasn’t taken off
Brazil goes through the tie in low flight, culminating the year in a mediocre fifth place by drawing 1-1 with Uruguay, which completed a very positive double day (triumph against Colombia on the previous date) that installed the light blues in an auspicious second place .
The Uruguayan midfielder and captain, Federico Valverde, shook the Fonte Nova stadium in Salvador (Bahia, northeast) with a precise shot in the 55th minute and the Brazilian midfielder Gerson equalized seven minutes later, sealing a result that caused whistles at the end of the match.
Once again the star Vinicius Jr disappointed as the champion of a Brazilian offensive that is not very intimidating.
And Uruguay once again showed how to play against the Seleçao, also with the Argentine Marcelo Bielsa at the helm, who remains undefeated against the five-time world champions. Since taking office in 2023, he has achieved two victories (one in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals of the Copa América-2024) and this Tuesday’s draw.
Ecuador adds and continues
Ecuador achieved a 1-0 visiting category victory against a losing Colombia, which lost both matches in this November doubleheader.
A great goal from Ecuadorian striker Enner Valencia in the 7th minute closed the scoring in Barranquilla, despite the fact that the team led by Argentine Sebastián Beccacece played with 10 men from the 34th minute due to the expulsion of defender Piero Hincapié.
Colombia, which was coming off a tough 3-2 loss at the last minute against Uruguay on the previous date, insisted again and again but the continuous attacks collided with the confident goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez and the ineffectiveness of the local attackers.
The team from the middle of the world grew to the third step of the classification (19 points), the same amount as Colombia but with a better goal balance.
– Paraguay on a roll –
Paraguay was not daunted in the Andean heights and drew 2-2 with Bolivia at home in the Bolivian bastion of El Alto, 4,150 meters above sea level.
Ervin Vaca opened the account for Bolivia in the 15th minute, but Miguel Almirón achieved the temporary tie at 71. Ten minutes from the end, Miguel Terceros scored a penalty for the locals and, when the Guaraníes had little oxygen left, Julio Enciso sealed the result 2-2 to 90+1.
With the tie with Bolivia, Paraguay remains undefeated with three wins and three draws since the Argentine Gustavo Alfaro took over as coach, after the Copa América in the United States-2024 where the Guaraníes were eliminated in the first phase.
On the other hand, Bolivia was in the seventh place, the playoff position, and suffered a blow to the hope of returning to a World Cup since its participation in the United States in 1994.
– Chile, a healing triumph –
Chile came out of the hole with a healing victory against Venezuela 3-2, in its second victory in the tie that also gives air to Argentine coach Ricardo Gareca.
La Roja now has 9 points (ninth), but still very far from aspiring to qualifying options. Venezuela, with 12 points, fell to eighth position, outside the qualifying and playoff zone.
Chile, which recently called up its historic star Arturo Vidal again, is gaining some oxygen but still has a very uphill road to aspire to return to a World Cup after the last one it played in, in Brazil-2014.
On the other hand, Venezuela entered a slide that jeopardizes its goal of attending a World Cup for the first time.
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#Argentina #returns #victory #Brazil #react #renewed #Uruguay
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Around your team’s performance?
1. Guests: Lionel Scaloni, coach of Argentina national football team, and Gustavo Alfaro, coach of Paraguay national football team.
2. Interviewer: How did Argentina manage to win against Peru amidst the current scenario of underperformance in some of their previous matches?
Lionel Scaloni: We had a tough opponent in Peru, but our players kept their focus and fought hard till the end. We knew that a win was crucial for us, so we worked on our defense and managed to find the back of the net. We also benefited from some key substitutions that freshened up our attack, which paid off. As we move forward, we will continue to work on our weaknesses and ensure consistency in our performances.
Gustavo Alfaro: Obviously, Argentina is one of the strongest teams in the group, and any victory against them is significant. However, Peru is also a competitive side, and it is important to acknowledge their resilience and determination. My team is young and inexperienced at this level, so I am pleased with the way they held their ground in such a hostile environment. We will learn from this match and improve our game plan for future encounters.
3. Interviewer: Brazil’s performance has been disappointing recently, drawing against Uruguay. How do you see their chances in the upcoming matches?
Lionel Scaloni: Brazil is a formidable team, and they will definitely bounce back. They have some world-class players who can turn any game around at any moment. They may be going through a rough patch now, but they have the experience and talent to bounce back stronger. We must not underestimate them and will have to be at our best when we face them in the future.
Gustavo Alfaro: Brazil is still the team to beat in this group. They have a great history and a strong squad. Their struggles are temporary, I believe, and they will find their rhythm soon. They have a new coach, but they have been playing together for a while, so it’s just a matter of time before they click and start delivering the results everyone expects from them.
4. Ecuador managed to win against Colombia, a significant improvement after their disappointing performance against Argentina. What changes did you implement to turn
