CARACAS (AP) – After a disastrous first half, Brazil revealed their hierarchy by turning the scoreboard and defeating Venezuela 3-1 on Thursday to maintain their perfect pace in the World Cup qualifiers.
With goals from Marquinhos, Gabriel Barbosa and Antony in the last 20 minutes, Canarinha chained their ninth consecutive victory in the South American race to Qatar 2022. They did so despite the absence of Neymar, who purged a suspension date due to accumulation of cautions.
Tite’s team reached the ideal of 27 points, a figure that many say is the “magic number” that guarantees a classification.
Irreverent from the opening whistle, Venezuela opened the scoring in the 11th minute through Eric Ramírez. The Dynamo Kiev forward nestled a cross from the right side of Yeferson Soteldo, the skilled midfielder for MLS Toronto and former Brazil Santos.
Tite acknowledged that Verdeamarela had more difficulties to beat her Venezuelan counterpart, but stressed that the team had the opportunity to lift its game with a series of changes that were very effective in the complement.
“It is true that we did not have the process of creation and conclusion” in the first half in which Venezuela scored and played better, but “we had a high-level second half, with entries of pieces that gave us performance to achieve victory”, the strategist highlighted at the press conference.
Brazil changed chips after the break.
On a corner kick by rookie Raphinha, defender Marquinhos jumped past his marker and hit the front header that made it 1-1 in the 71st minute.
“Gabigol” charged a penalty for the goal of difference at 85 after being the victim of a foul against him in the area committed by defender Óscar González.
And Antony put final figures in the fifth minute of the extension.
“It was a difficult game, we started the game well below what we can do,” said Marquinhos.
He admitted that it was “difficult for us to look for the result, but the final result is what counts, it is the performance of the team in the second half and the final positive result that we achieved.”
Brazil has never lost to Venezuela in the Conmebol qualifiers. Accumulate 16 wins and a draw against the Venezuelans. In November, Brazil beat Venezuela 1-0 at home.
The five-time world champions comfortably command the tie, with a difference of eight points over their Argentine escort. The two leaders have one game less than the rest, since the clash between the two last month was suspended shortly after it began by the Brazilian health authorities who questioned the presence of some Argentine players in the country.
FIFA must decide whether to resume the match or declare a winner. For now neither of the two teams are missing those points.
The first four advance and the fifth goes a playoff.
Venezuela, the only South American team that has never qualified for a World Cup, remains sunk at the bottom of the table with four points.
“I think we played a good game. I don’t know the result we got, but we have to wait for the next date and hopefully we can get the three points, ”said Venezuelan Ramírez, who scored his first goal with the senior team. “We are never going to lower our arms.”
On the next two qualifying dates, Brazil will visit Colombia on Sunday and host Uruguay on October 14.
Venezuela, meanwhile, as a local, will face Ecuador on October 10 and four days later at home they will face Chile.
