By Brian Homewood
RIO DE JANEIRO, June 16 (Reuters) - Brazil lost 2-0 to
10-man Paraguay and Argentina needed a stoppage-time equaliser
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, their fourth in the last eight
matches against Brazil, took them three points clear at the top
of the 10-team group with 13 points from five games.
Argentina are 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 were 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 2-0 to Venezuela in a friendly 10 days
ago.
“We didn’t have any difficulty on controlling our
opponents,” said Santa Cruz.
PALACIO STRIKE
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 were 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 their 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.
As well as the altitude, both teams had to contend with a
shocking pitch at the Hernando Siles stadium.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)