• Round 1 of FIFA World Cup qualifying continued in South America
• Atalanta pair lead Colombia past Venezuela, brilliant Brazil breeze past Bolivia
• Review all the action with FIFA.com

South American qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ continued with two intriguing fixtures on Friday evening. Colombia, who reached the knockout stage at Russia 2018, beat Venezuela, a team that has integrated some of the players that finished runners-up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017. In the later game, record champions Brazil got their Qatar 2022 qualifying journey off to a scintillating start against Bolivia.

There will be celebrations across Colombia but perhaps also over 9,000 kilometres away in Bergamo as two Atalanta players scored all of the goals for Los Cafeteros in Barranquilla. Duvan Zapata opened the scoring in the 16th minute, finishing off a well-worked team goal as James Rodriguez sent in a through pass to Juan Cuadrado on the right wing and the Juventus star found Zapata with a low and driven teasing cross.

Zapata’s Atalanta team-mate Luis Muriel doubled their lead just over ten minutes later when Johan Mojica, himself an Atalanta player on loan from Girona, found him with a low cross. Muriel added a second on the night right before the break finishing after an impressive run. It was the first time that Zapata and Muriel had scored in the same match for Colombia, capping off a nearly-perfect night had it not been for Santiago Arias suffering what appeared to be a serious ankle injury early in the match.

Over in Sao Paulo, Brazil were in scintillating form, which was bad news for Bolivia. Marquinhos opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a thunderous header from a pinpoint, curling Danilo cross. Brazil’s second and third goals were both ultimately tap-ins by Roberto Firmino but they showcased the team’s chemistry with both sequences involving impressive build-up play. Substitute Rodrygo played a big part in forcing an own goal by Jorge Carrasco and Neymar, who had two assists on the night, found Coutinho with a perfectly-weighted, lofted cross and the Barcelona man did the rest and headed home from close range.

FINAL SCORES

Colombia 3-0 Venezuela

Brazil 5-0 Bolivia

Streaks extended and ended

• Brazil have never lost a World Cup qualifier at home with 43 wins and 12 draws in 55 matches played in total
• Colombia now have seven wins out of nine home qualifiers in history against Venezuela
• The 3-0 defeat ended a seven-game unbeaten run in away matches for Venezuela, which was their biggest streak in their history

Did you know?

• Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro made his debut at the Venezuelan helm against compatriot Carlos Queiroz’s Colombia — Peseiro was Queiroz’s technical assistant during the 2003/04 season he spent in charge of Real Madrid
• Venezuela are the only nation from the CONMEBOL region yet to qualify for a senior World Cup
• Brazil was the highest-scoring nation during Russia 2018 qualifying (41 goals); scored the most goals in the first and second half (16 and 25, respectively) and the most goals from inside and outside the area (35 and 6, respectively)
• Bolivia finished in the bottom two places in each of the region’s last four preliminary campaigns, while they are its lowest-positioned side on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking

Next Up

Tuesday 13 October

• Bolivia-Argentina
• Ecuador-Uruguay
• Venezuela-Paraguay
• Peru-Brazil
• Chile-Colombia

ICYMI: Here’s what happened yesterday

FIFA.com

• South American qualifying for Qatar 2022 kicked-off on Thursday
• Wins for Uruguay and Argentina; Paraguay and Peru in action-packed draw
• Review all the action as it happened with FIFA.com

The road to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ officially got underway in South America on Thursday.

Arguably the world’s most arduous and competitive of all continental journeys duly delivered, with three tightly contested matches and superstar names on the scoresheet.

Luis Suarez had the honour of scoring the first goal in Qatar 2022 South American zone qualifiers. His penalty was cancelled out by Chile captain Alexis Sanchez soon after the break in Montevideo, but Uruguay snatched all three points with a dramatic Maxi Gomez winner three minutes into added time.

There was similar late drama amid a second-half goal flurry in Asuncion. Substitute Angel Romero netted a double within 15 minutes for Paraguay, but Peru’s Andre Carrillo scored at each end of the second period – the latter with just five minutes remaining – to ensure the Russia 2018 participants avoided defeat in their opening Qatar 2022 qualifier.

In Buenos Aires, meanwhile, Lionel Messi once again grabbed the headlines as his lone early penalty proved enough for Argentina to edge victory over Ecuador. The Argentina skipper slotted home in the 13th-minute as the two-time world champions made a low-key start to their campaign at an eerily quiet Bombonera.

FINAL SCORES

Paraguay 2-2 Peru

Uruguay 2-1 Chile

Argentina 1-0 Ecuador

Stars immediately find their range

Luiz Suarez extended his Uruguay national record to 60 international goals in scoring the opener against Chile. It was also another slice of history for the record-breaker as he grabbed the maiden goal in South America’s road to Qatar 2022.

Lionel Messi is not one to be left behind and the Argentinian megastar did likewise in extending his national record tally to 71. The first-half penalty-spot winner against Ecuador leaves Messi having now scored in five World Cup qualifying campaigns.

Despite failing to take all three points thanks to Peru’s late equaliser, Paraguay will be hoping they have turned a corner. La Albirroja had lost four of their past five home World Cup qualifiers, including a hefty 4-1 defeat against Peru during the last qualifying cycle.

Did you know?

• Paraguay have lost four of their last five home qualifiers (including that 4-1 loss to Peru); it’s their worst streak ever in the competition
• Uruguay have never lost at home to Chile, with 21 wins and seven draws in their 28 matches
• Twenty of the 23 goals Chile scored in the Russia 2018 qualifiers were scored or assisted by Alexis Sanchez (seven goals, four assists), Arturo Vidal (six goals) or Eduardo Vargas (five goals)
• Argentina have lost only one of their last eight matches against Ecuador, but that defeat was a shock 2-0 loss in October 2015 at the Monumental

Next Up

Friday 9 October

• Colombia-Venezuela
• Brazil-Bolivia

FIFA.com

• South American qualifying for Qatar 2022 begins today
• Uruguay-Chile is the standout fixture from Round 1
• Five coaches making their qualifiers debut

Not even a seven-month delay caused by a global pandemic can dampen expectations ahead of the South American qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Aside from how external circumstances might impact each country, three teams – Brazil, Uruguay and Peru – start with what would seem to be an advantage. In Tite, Oscar Tabarez and Ricardo Gareca, the trio have the same coaches who guided them to Russia 2018.

Of the seven other teams, only Chile and Bolivia have coaches with prior experience of the continental qualifiers. The pair in question are the Colombian Reinaldo Rueda and Venezuelan Cesar Farias, both of whom have already navigated what many consider to be the world’s hardest qualifying competition at the helm of other countries.

All of which leaves three Argentinians: Lionel Scaloni (Argentina), Gustavo Alfaro (Ecuador) and Eduardo Berizzo (Paraguay), and two Portuguese: Carlos Queiroz (Colombia) and Jose Peseiro (Venezuela) making their debuts in the competition. FIFA.com previews the start of the action.

Matchday 1 schedule (all times local)

October 8

• Uruguay-Chile (19:45)
• Paraguay-Peru (20:30)
• Argentina-Ecuador (21:10)

October 9

• Colombia-Venezuela (20:30)
• Brazil-Bolivia (21:30)

The big match

Uruguay-Chile, Estadio Centenario (Montevideo)

With every point precious in this fiercely competitive zone, this clash between two sides with aspirations to claim one of the automatic qualifying berths looks a fascinating one. The potential of Uruguay lies both in the quality of veterans like Luis Suarez and Diego Godin, and that of their youngsters, be it Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Betancour or Matias Vina, one of the most recent new talents to emerge. It remains to be seen how Tabarez deals with big-name absentees, like that of Edinson Cavani up front and Fernando Muslera in goal.

Rueda also has selection problems, being unable to call upon, among others, goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, defenders Gary Medel and Mauricio Isla, and midfielder Erik Pulgar, all regular starters for Chile as they aim to get back to the World Cup after missing out on Russia 2018.

This makes it even more important for big names like Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez, as well as regular squad players Charles Aranguiz and Eduardo Vargas, to play a more prominent role, not least because they will need to support relative newcomers like Francisco Sierralta and Claudio Baeza.

The stat: Uruguay have never lost at home to Chile in World Cup qualifying (seven wins and one draw, dating back to 2007).

Elsewhere

In Buenos Aires, perennial candidates Argentina welcome Ecuador, another side who missed out on Russia 2018. Lionel Messi will be taking part in his fifth qualifying campaign with a new look team, albeit with the same obligations. Facing them are a rival that not only won on their last visit to Argentina, but who also have in Alfaro a coach that once analysed opponents for La Albiceleste.

Peru, the revelation of the last qualifiers, begin their campaign in Asuncion against a Paraguay side hoping to return to the World Cup after sitting out the last two editions. Aside from Paolo Guerrero’s absence through injury, La Blanquirroja will likely stick with the core of the team that won here on their last visit. La Albirroja, by contrast, are expected to introduce several new faces under the watchful eye of veterans like Gustavo Gomez and Miguel Almiron.

In Barranquilla, Colombia will kick things off against Venezuela, the only CONMEBOL side yet to qualify for a senior World Cup. With James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado available (though not David Ospina), Los Cafeteros fully intend on being in the qualifying mix from the start. For their part, La Vinotinto will have to do without their figurehead Solomon Rondon up front but can call on quality established players to support newcomers from the U-20 side that were world runner’s-up at Korea 2017.

Brazil get the ball rolling in Sao Paulo with the visit of Bolivia, who have managed just two draws in eight visits. With Neymar at the helm of a stable side replete with top quality alternatives, they start once again as strong candidates for an automatic qualifying spot. Bolivia, meanwhile, will hope to take encouragement from past exploits and spring a surprise.

Player to watch

James Rodriguez (Colombia)

Los Cafeteros will be hoping to capitalise on the fine form of their attacking midfielder, who has racked up three goals and three assists in five games with new club Everton. If James can replicate his Premier League form with the national team, then he could well become the leader they need to qualify directly for Qatar.

Did you know…?

Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro will make his debut at the Venezuelan helm against compatriot Carlos Queiroz’s Colombia. Adding further spice to this Lusitanian duel in South America is the fact that Peseiro was Queiroz’s technical assistant during the 2003/04 season he spent at the helm of Real Madrid.

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