Argentina and Brazil reignited their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaigns with important victories on Tuesday as Copa America champions Chile crashed to defeat in their grudge match with Uruguay.
Two-time World Cup winners Argentina claimed their first win, downing Colombia 1-0 in Barranquilla thanks to a goal from Lucas Biglia.
Brazil meanwhile produced their best performance of the qualifying campaign to date with a 3-0 defeat of Peru in Salvador. Bayern Munich star Douglas Costa scored one goal and created two others as Brazil swept aside the challenge of the Copa America semi-finalists.
In Montevideo, Uruguay gained revenge for their stormy Copa America quarter-final defeat to Chile earlier this year with a 3-0 win.
The victory pushed Uruguay up to second place in the standings with nine points from four games, three points adrift of surprise early pacesetters Ecuador, who made it four wins out of four on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Venezuela.
To compound Chile’s misery, midfielder Jorge Valdivia was shown a red card after the final whistle, apparently for remarks to referee Wilmar Roldan of Colombia, who also issued seven yellow cards.
Ecuador meanwhile lead the standings after extending their 100 percent record against Venezuela in Puerto Ordaz — Venezuela’s fourth defeat in as many games.In the day’s other game, Paraguay defeated Bolivia 2-1 in Asuncion.
Results: Colombia: 0 lt to Argentina: 1; Venezuela: 1 lt to Ecuador: 3; Uruguay: 3 bt Chile: 0; Paraguay: 2 bt Bolivia: 1; Brazil: 3 bt Peru: 0.
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