It started mysteriously late by a few minutes and ended in confusion, but the aftermath of Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Peru on Thursday saw South America, with one more round, end its series of automatic World Cup qualifiers.
Brazil and Argentina have long booked their spot at the 2022 Qatar show. Ecuador was so close that it crossed the line despite a lackluster 3-1 loss to Paraguay. They were joined by Uruguay, the first World Cup winners to secure qualification on the day when Italy, winners of the second and third tournaments, so unexpectedly lost to the strong outsider from North Macedonia.
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Uruguay needed two things to get through Tuesday’s last round without a sweat. One was their victory. Second, Chile failed to make history by becoming the first team to beat Brazil in a World Cup qualifier on home soil.
It never seemed likely. It took the hosts almost before the break to break the Chileans, and it took a completely unnecessary penalty to open the floodgates. But Brazil controlled the situation from beginning to end. Chile’s victory would require a lot of luck and flawless performance. Any chance of the latter evaporated when right-back Mauricio Isla foolishly fell to the ground and knocked Neymar down when there was no immediate threat of a goal. Neymar calmly converted the penalty. Another mistake almost immediately doubled the score. Claudio Bravo hit Anthony’s right winger straight. His on-pitch pass was rigged by Neymar and reached Vinicius Junior, who found room to slip, scoring his first senior international goal.
The Chile briefly thought they were back in the game shortly after the break when substitute Joaquín Montesinos set up Arturo Vidal. But the goal was ruled out for offside. By the end of the match, the final score could have been over 4-0, with Brazil showing off their attacking power with goals from substitutes Philippe Coutinho (with another penalty) and Richarlison. Chile suffered a predictable defeat, leaving Uruguay in their hands.
The four games of the evening (Argentina hosting Venezuela on Friday) were scheduled to start at the same time. For some unknown reason, Uruguay’s decisive game against Peru started seven minutes late. It so happened that no one had an advantage – all the important actors were on the same field. Uruguay needed a win to be sure. A victory for the Peruvians would leave them in a winning position ahead of the final round.
Uruguay’s perseverance was reflected in the team’s choice – the same form of the team that won at home against Venezuela in the previous round, with two playmakers and two strikers. But while against Venezuela they started quickly, Uruguay were disappointed by the well-practiced Peru Ricardo Gareki. Uruguay’s attacking stars found little room for action. Peruvian defensive midfielder Renato Tapia swept everyone in front of the centre-backs, and the first clear chance fell to the guests. Andre Carrillo’s cross from the right flank knocked down Diego Godin, while Gianluca Lapadula headed the ball but hit goalkeeper Sergio Roche. And then Lapadula grabbed a sloppy back pass from another centre-back, José María Jiménez, and Roche had to dive to the left to parry the shot.
It took Uruguay 40 minutes their first shot. But they began to find rhythm, and their attacking intentions were evident from the presence of two defenders at the decisive moment of the match. Left-back Matias Olivera eluded Darwin Nunez, who crossed to the far post, Jimenez’s shot hit the crossbar in a big way, and Georgian De Arrascaeta scored a free ball.
After the break, Uruguay’s Federico Valverde hit the bar with a long-range shot. But now his team was more concerned with cutting time. There were moments in the second half when the ball boys in the stadium worked with dubious enthusiasm. Defensive changes left them without pace to counterattack and the game now depended on whether Peru could find a way out. There seemed to be little chance. Peru struggled to even create a chance, and Roche in goal didn’t bother until the moment of the stoppage time dispute.
Peruvian left-back Miguel Trauco missed from deep. Rocher had to pedal back and decided to catch the ball rather than toss it over the bar. His momentum carried him back well over the line, keeping the ball forward as he walked. Has the entire ball crossed the line? The assistant referee decided that this was not the case and there was no clear VAR image to prove otherwise. Peru, as expected, did not agree. There was anger on the bench and among the players, including, somewhat absurdly, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, who from across the field could not have had a credible idea of the incident.
The Peru team would be better advised to save their anger until the final round on Tuesday and take it out on the Paraguayans in Lima. Their fate is in their own hands. The victory guarantees them a place in the playoffs and a match against Asian rivals in June. Two teams will hope they falter: Chile, host Uruguay, and a point ahead of them, Colombia, who finally ended their goalscoring drought with a 3-0 win at home against a weak and inexperienced side of Bolivia, are now moving with a new hope to meet with Venezuela.
Four automatic qualifying slots have been identified. But the fight for a place in the playoffs will go until the very final whistle.