La Roja off to perfect start as Vargas, Sanchez strike
late on. PHOTO: AFP
Vargas, one of the heroes of Chile’s victorious Copa America campaign, picked up where he left off in that tournament with a wonderful volleyed finish on 72 minutes to fire the hosts into the lead at Santiago’s Estadio Nacional.
Arsenal star Sanchez then applied the coup de grace in the 90th minute, jabbing home from close range after a wonderful flowing move which ripped Brazil’s defence apart.
“I’m very happy because I have never beaten Brazil, and to beat a team that has caused us so many problems in the past means a lot,” said Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli, adding that Brazil are a sure shot to qualify for the World Cup. “Brazil are a great team with great players who will surely be in the next World Cup.”
Meanwhile, Argentina slumped to a shock home defeat against Ecuador as upsets dominated the opening round.
A star-studded Argentina side, badly missing the inspiration of injured captain Lionel Messi, struggled to find a way through a disciplined Ecuador in a lackustre game at the Estadio Monumental.
The tone for a miserable night for Argentina had been set early on, when Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero was stretchered off the field with what looked like a serious hamstring injury.
The game appeared to be heading for a 0-0 draw entering the final 10 minutes before Ecuador secured a breakthrough from a Frickson Erazo header that fired the minnows into a 1-0 lead.
Moments later Antonio Valencia burst down the right flank and fed for Felipe Caicedo, who slotted home for 2-0.
Yet while Argentina and Brazil were left reeling, there were no such problems for Uruguay, who shrugged off the absence of star strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani to score a historic first away win over Bolivia in La Paz.
The high altitude of La Paz has often left visiting sides gasping for breath, with Uruguay suffering a 4-1 thrashing in their last trip to the Bolivian capital in 2012.
However goals in each half from Martin Caceres and Diego Godin clinched a clinical 2-0 victory for the Uruguayans, who had never won in La Paz in five previous attempts.
Colombia meanwhile opened their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win, Teofilo Gutierrez and Edwin Cardona getting the goals in a hard-fought victory over Peru in Barranquilla.
In the day’s other game, Paraguay snatched a late away win over Venezuela when Derlis Gonzalez pounced on a defensive mistake to score the game’s only goal in the 85th minute.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2015.
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