Ecuador, Uruguay qualify for World Cup in Qatar
Giorgian de Arrascaeta sent Uruguay to the World Cup with the only goal of the game against Peru on Thursday, a result that also booked Ecuador’s ticket to Qatar, with a helping hand from Brazil.
Ecuador slumped to a 3-1 defeat in Paraguay but still qualified for a World Cup for the just the fourth time — all this century — thanks to Uruguay’s victory and already-qualified Brazil’s 4-0 win over Chile.
Nineteen teams have now qualified for the finals in Qatar later this year, with 13 spots still available.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for Uruguay since a disastrous spell at the end of last year when they lost four matches in a row, conceding 11 goals, scoring just one and slipping to seventh in the 10-team group.
That spelled the end for iconic coach Oscar Tabarez, who spent a record 15 years at the helm and guided the “Celeste” to a World Cup semi-final in 2010 and Copa America title a year later.
But his successor Diego Alonso has won three out of three and taken Uruguay — winners in 1930 and 1950 — to a fourth straight finals.
Ecuador’s qualification owed more to a solid campaign than Thursday’s shambolic performance in driving rain on a difficult pitch in Ciudad del Este.
The omens were poor before kick-off as Ecuador had already lost on all eight previous trips to Paraguay for World Cup qualifiers dating back to 1981.
Strikes from Robert Morales, a Piero Hincapie own goal and Miguel Almiron won the game for Paraguay before Jordy Caicedo’s late penalty consolation.
Neymar marked his return to the Brazil team by scoring a penalty while Vinicius Junior, a Philippe Coutinho penalty and Richarlison heaped misery on Chile, whose hopes of qualification hang by a thread.
Goals from Luis Diaz, Miguel Borja and Mateus Uribe kept Colombia’s chances alive.