Oct 11, V7N- Brazil secured a much-needed 2-1 away victory over Chile in the South American World Cup qualifiers, with a dramatic 89th-minute winner by substitute Luiz Henrique. Brazil, who had been struggling with poor performances, losing four of their last five qualifiers, found themselves a goal down early on after Eduardo Vargas scored a header for Chile in the second minute.
Despite missing opportunities to extend their lead, Chile couldn't hold on, and Brazil equalized just before halftime. Savinho delivered a precise cross, allowing Igor Jesus to score with a powerful header on his national team debut. In the second half, Brazil controlled the game, and Luiz Henrique's curling strike from the edge of the box sealed the victory in the final minutes.
The win moves Brazil to fourth in the standings with 13 points, two behind Uruguay and eight behind leaders Argentina. Chile remains second from bottom with five points.
In other matches, Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw against Venezuela in Lionel Messi's return to international duty. Messi set up Nicolas Otamendi for the opening goal, but Venezuela equalized with a header from Salomon Rondon.
Bolivia continued their strong form with a gritty 1-0 win over Colombia, despite playing with 10 men for most of the game. Miguel Terceros scored the decisive goal with a stunning left-footed strike.
Argentina leads the standings with 19 points, followed by Colombia and Uruguay. Brazil's victory sees them leapfrog Ecuador into fourth place, with the top six teams securing a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
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