MONTEVIDEO: Argen­tina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior had frustrating nights in South American World Cup qualifying.

While Messi could not help his team avoid a 2-1 defeat at Paraguay, Vinicius missed a second-half penalty as Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw at Venezuela on Thursday.

World Cup holders Argentina top the standings with 22 points from 11 games and Brazil are in third place in the standings with 17 points.

Paraguay are sixth on 16 points, behind on goal difference to Ecuador, who hammered Bolivia 4-0, and Uruguay, while Bolivia are in eighth place with 12 points.

The 11th round of South American World Cup qualifying will continue on Friday with second-place Colombia visiting Uruguay and the bottom two teams in the standings, Peru and Chile, facing off in Lima.

The top six teams will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Argentina played at Paraguay with the hosts having banned local fans from wearing any Messi shirts in the home crowd. TV footage of the match in Asuncion showed that the vast majority of the local crowd was wearing Paraguay’s red and white colors, with no Messi shirts visible in the local broadcasts.

But it started well for Lionel Scaloni’s team, also reigning Copa America champions, as they grabbed an early lead through Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.

Enzo Fernandez lofted a lovely ball over the Paraguay defence into the path of Martinez who drove in a low finish only for his celebration to be cut short by the linesman’s flag.

But a VAR review found that Martinez had been just onside and over-ruled the on-field decision giving Argentina an 11th-minute lead.

It was an advantage that was to last just eight minutes though as the home side drew level in spectacular fashion.

Gustavo Velazquez whipped in a cross and Antonio Sanabria leapt in the air and fired past Emiliano Martinez with a brilliantly executed bicycle kick.

Filled with belief and roared on by the crowd in Asuncion, Paraguay battled hard in what was a scrappy encounter.

Two minutes after the interval Omar Alderete grabbed what proved to be the winner, rising at the back post to head home a cross from Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez.

Argentina struggled to create openings with Messi largely neutralised although the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner did provide a cross for Valentn Castellanos but the substitute could not keep his header down.

“The [goal] at the start of the second half made everything more difficult. We have to congratulate the opponent, who defended very well,” Scaloni told a press conference.

Brazil had to settle for a point after a superb Raphinha free-kick was cancelled out by a second half strike from Telasco Segovia.

Brazil had struggled for form early in their campaign but showed signs of their old swagger returning with Vinicius a constant menace as they took the game to Venezuela at the Monumental Stadium.

Raphinha gave Brazil the lead, netting a fine left-footed strike from a free kick on the edge of the box in the 43rd minute that ricocheted off the left post before finding the back of the net.

But Segovia stroke an unstoppable first-effort shot from the edge of the box 38 seconds into the second half to level the game assisted by Jefferson Savarino.

But Brazil kept threatening and had an opportunity to get back in front in the 62nd minute when Vinicius was fouled inside the box by goalkeeper Rafael Romo in a counter attack.

However, Romo stopped Vinicius’ poorly taken spot kick and the Real Madrid striker also failed to net the rebound, missing wide left of the empty goal and Venezuela held on against Brazil’s late press for a winner.

Brazil searched desperately for a winner but Venezuela, who played the last minutes of the game down to 10 men after substitute Alexander Gonzalez was sent off for hitting both Gabriel Martinelli and Vinicius in the face in successive plays in the 89th minute, held firm.

Venezuela are in seventh place on 12 points and the seventh-place team will enter an Inter-confederation playoff for a spot in the World Cup.

Ecuador beat Bolivia with goals by Enner Valencia (26th minute), Gonzalo Plata (28th and 49th) and Alan Minda (61st).

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2024