MONTEVIDEO: A stunning 85th-minute overhead kick by Eduard Bello helped Venezuela hold Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their 2026 World Cup qualifier on Thursday, while world champions Argentina made it three wins out of three with a hard-earned 1-0 win over a determined Paraguay on Thursday.

Darwin Nunez struck a stoppage time penalty as Uruguay fought back for a 2-2 draw with Colombia in Barranquilla while Ecuador got their first points with a last gasp 2-1 win at Bolivia and Chile beat Peru 2-0.

After a goalless first half in Cuiaba defender Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring in the 50th minute, meeting Neymar’s corner with a bullet header at the near post for his first international goal.

Brazil had chances to extend their lead, with Vinicius Jr. having a goal disallowed for offside in the 71st minute.

And the hosts were made to rue their profligacy with five minutes left when Jefferson Savarino whipped in a cross and Bello leapt acrobatically to blast a spectacular overhead kick past Ederson.

The draw sees Brazil, who next face Uruguay in Montevideo, fall to second in the standings after Argentina’s victory in Buenos Aires, where the hosts earned the narrow win thanks to an early stunner by Nicolas Otamendi.

The 35-year-old central defender had scored just four goals in over 100 previous appearances for Argentina but showed great skill to put the World Cup champions ahead after just three minutes with a sensational volley from a corner.

Lionel Messi, who was included in the squad despite being sidelined in recent weeks by a muscle problem, came on in the 53rd minute and went close to adding to Argentina’s tally, rattling the woodwork with a free-kick in added time.

Argentina next face Peru in Lima on Oct 17.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay went behind after James Rodriguez turned in Rafael Santos Borre’s cross in the 35th minute, but they equalised just after halftime through Mathias Olivera.

Colombia retook the lead five minutes later thanks to a Mateus Uribe strike from another Borre cross.

However, the home side were denied the win when goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was sent off in the 87th minute after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Maximiliano Araujo, giving away a penalty.

Alvaro Montero came on to replace Vargas in goal but was unable to stop Nunez’s spot kick.

Colombia and Uruguay are third and fourth in the standings, while Chile are fifth — level on four points with Uruguay and Venezuela — following their win over Peru after a second half goal from Diego Valdes and a Marcos Lopez stoppage-time own goal.

Kendry Paez, the 16-year-old Ecuadorean prodigy, became the youngest player to score in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier when he put his team ahead against Bolivia in La Paz with a composed finish in the 45th minute.

A great shot on the turn from Rodrigo Ramallo levelled for Bolivia before a defensive lapse allowed Kevin Rodriguez to grab the winner for Ecuador in the sixth minute of stoppage time to leave Bolivia still without a point

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2023