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Colombia keep alive hopes, Argentina win again
Colombia keep alive their slim chances of qualifying for next year's World Cup in Japan and South Korea with a 3-1 win over Chile in Bogota on Wednesday.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 07:37 AM IST
Read Time:3 min
Bogota:
Colombia kept alive their slim chances of qualifying for next year's World Cup in Japan and South Korea on Wednesday with a 3-1 win over Chile who remarkably finished the game with seven men in Bogota. Colombia could snatch the last playoff place in the South American group if they win their last game against already-qualified Paraguay, while Uruguay lose to table-topping Argentina on November 14. Colombia had to win to keep their chance of reaching the world cup next year alive and they got off to a perfect start against Chile. Mid-fielder Faustino Asprilla made a good pass to Freddy Grisales who got past a defender and the keeper to put his team ahead. But six minutes later, a foul on Giovany Hernandez by Chile's Victor Cancino saw Cancino being sent off for his second yellow card. Later Colombia were unlucky when a free kick was headed by Jersson Gonzales but the ball hitting the bar. But the sparse 17,000 crowd was stunned in the 39th minute when Jaime Riveros' perfect left footed free kick beat the Columbian keeper for the equaliser. The home side took the lead again in the 66th minute after Hernandez was fouled in the area. However, the replay showed that contact was made clearly outside the area. Moises Villarroel got his marching orders for protesting and Aston Villa's Juan Pablo Angel put away the penalty to make the score 2-1. The lead grew even more when Gonzalez's intended cross, got past everyone including the diving Chilean goalkeeper. The ball sailed into the net giving Colombia an outside chance of qualifying for the World Cup. Argentina win again Argentina having already qualified, won again on Thursday, this time against a Peruvian team which had leading striker Claudio Pizarro and coach Julio Cesar Uribe both sent off. The victory gives Argentina an unassailable 12-point lead at the top of the South American group and cements their status as smart money favourites to lift the FIFA Trophy next year. The first action came on a free kick from Manchester United's Juan Sebastion Veron but keeper Miranda did a good job tipping the ball over the bar. The resultant corner saw keeper Miranda saving a forceful header and another defender was lucky clearing the ball after his shot hit the crossbar. The second minute of the second half saw the first goal of the match when Veron's free kick was well connected by Ayala, and after a series of rebounds, Walter Samuel finally managed to score on his second attempt. Matters became worse for Peru in the 77th minute. Bayern Munich's Claudio Pizzaro tussled with Argentina's Javier Zanetti and though Zanetti had a firm grip on Pizzaro's shirt, Pizarro's palm hit Zanetti and that was enough for him to be sent off. Samuel put substitute Claudio Lopez on course for a goal with a through pass, but Miranda was up to the task. And with just six minutes from time, after a defensive error, Juan Sorin slid a through pass to Lopez, who drove the ball past the keeper to make the score 2-0. Two minutes later, the duo of Sorin and Lopez were at it again. Sorin's pass found Lopez but his shot from 20-meters out hit the post. Argentina held on to win 2-0, their 13th win in this qualifying campaign.Topics mentioned in this article
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