Argentina, Brazil stumble

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-17  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

BRAZIL lost 0-2 to 10-man Paraguay and Argentina needed a stoppage-time equalizer to hold Ecuador 1-1 at home in South American World Cup qualifiers on Sunday.

Chile completed a dramatic day by winning 2-0 at high altitude in Bolivia with two goals from defender Gary Medel, the first a bicycle kick.

Brazil and Argentina's poor displays should add to the usual spice when the two meet in Belo Horizonte on Wednesday in the next round of matches.

Paraguay's win in Asuncion, its fourth in the last eight matches against Brazil, took it three points clear at the top of the 10-team group with 13 points from five games.

Argentina is second with 10, followed by Colombia (9), Brazil (8), Venezuela and Chile (7) and Uruguay (5).

The top four teams qualify directly for the 2010 World Cup and the fifth play off against a side from the CONCACAF region.

Paraguay twice hit the woodwork and was rarely troubled by Brazil despite having defender Dario Veron sent off in the 48th minute.

Striker Roque Santa Cruz side-footed Paraguay ahead from close range in the 26th minute and set up the second for Salvador Cabanas one minute after Veron's dismissal.

"There are days when things don't work," said Brazil coach Dunga, whose team lost 0-2 to Venezuela in a friendly 10 days ago.

"We didn't have any difficulty on controlling our opponents," said Santa Cruz.

In Buenos Aires, substitute Rodrigo Palacio came on in the 89th minute and scored the winner five minutes later with the last kick of the game after the Ecuador defence lost concentration.

The visitors, who have four points, went ahead when midfielder Patricio Urrutia rifled a 20-metre shot in off the crossbar following a clever Carlos Tenorio backheel in the 69th minute.

"We were lucky to draw the match with the last move of the game," said Argentina coach Alfio Basile. "We played well in our last games and today we didn't. There's not much to add."

Bolivia was delighted to be able to face Chile in La Paz at 3,600 metres above sea level after FIFA last month overturned a ban on internationals at high altitude.

But its joy dissolved on the half hour when Medel scored with an overhead kick from 12 metres. The defender then finished off the hosts with another goal from a corner in the 77th minute.

Elsewhere, the US began its World Cup qualifying with an 8-0 win over Barbados, while Trinidad & Tobago's lost 1-2 at home to Bermuda.