Sao Paulo, November 12 (BNA): Brazil is celebrating the first South American team to qualify for the 2022 World Cup – with many matches on hand and more than a year before the tournament kicks off.
Neymar assisted Lucas Paqueta in the 72nd minute to give Brazil a 1-0 win over Colombia in Sao Paulo. And the Seleção’s victory, Thursday, was the 11th in 12 matches in the qualifiers, which made it 18 points ahead of Chile and Colombia, in the fourth and fifth places with 16 points.
Chile and Colombia can only add 15 points from their remaining five matches. The top four teams in South America get direct entry to the World Cup, according to the Associated Press.
Neymar quickly passed to Paqueta, who beat goalkeeper David Ospina with a low cross shot that ended in the right corner of the Colombian goal.
Brazil will miss midfielder Casemiro in Tuesday’s match against Argentina due to a yellow card. Fabinho is his possible replacement.
Brazil qualified by giving Tite his 50th victory, along with 12 draws and five defeats. Tite took charge of the Brazilian national team midway through the World Cup qualifiers in Russia 2018. His team lost to Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals in Russia.
Also on Thursday, third-placed Ecuador beat last-placed Venezuela 1-0 with a goal from Piero Hincabe. Chile won the main victory over Paraguay 1-0 thanks to an own goal scored by Anthony Silva after a corner kick.
Peru defeated Bolivia 3-0 with goals by Gianluca Lapadula, Christian Cueva and Sergio Peña. Uruguay will host second-placed Argentina with 25 points in Friday’s match.
Brazil leads with 34 points. Her match with Argentina in September was strangely suspended after seven minutes of play due to concerns from the authorities about violating COVID-19 protocols. FIFA has not yet decided whether to restart it.
Peru is now seventh with 14 points, followed by Paraguay and Bolivia with 12 points and there is still some hope of qualifying. Venezuela has 7 points.
insult