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Friday, November 20, 2015 - Sao Paulo—Arch-rivals Brazil and Argentina revived their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaigns with important victories on Wednesday as Copa America champions Chile crashed to defeat in their grudge match with Uruguay.
An inspired performance from Douglas Costa helped Brazil produce their best performance of the campaign to date with a 3-0 defeat of Peru in Salvador.
Two-time World Cup winners Argentina — who had taken just two points from their first three matches in qualifying for Russia in 2018 — claimed their first win, downing Colombia 1-0 in Barranquilla thanks to a first half goal from Lucas Biglia.
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 with a 3-1 win over Venezuela.
Brazil’s victory over Peru left them in third place with seven points, ahead of Paraguay and Chile on goal difference. Argentina’s win in Colombia lifted them to sixth with five points while Colombia have four points.
Peru stayed on three points from four matches, behind Bolivia on goal difference while winless Venezuela are bottom.
The top four at the end of the 10-team, 18-match South American group in two years’ time will qualify for the 2018 Russia finals with the fifth-placed team going into an intercontinental playoff.
Bayern Munich star Costa got Brazil rolling in the 22nd minute, scoring off a cross from by Willian, who tormented Peru all night from his spot on the right side and then laid on the second for Renato Augusto 12 minutes into the second half.
Filipe Luis grabbed a third in 76 minutes after the keeper parried Costa’s ferocious drive from the right wing.
“It was very important to win after the draw in Argentina and we did well,” said Luis, who scored his first international goal. “The team is growing and getting better every game and we are finding a style of play that we want.”
Argentina, without the injured Lionel Messi, kick-started their campaign thanks to Biglia’s 19th-minute goal, the Lazio midfielder tapping in after Cristian Zapata failed to deal with Ezequiel Lavezzi’s low cross at the Metropolitano.
Angel Di Maria should have made it 2-0 late in the first half, but shot wide of the far post after getting in all alone on Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina while team-mate Paulo Dybala also hit the post in the 89th.
“We deserved to win, it is fair. We could have scored another goal,” said under-pressure Argentina coach Gerardo Martino. Ecuador lead the standings after extending their 100 percent record against Venezuela in Puerto Ordaz.
Fidel Martinez gave Ecuador a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, and Jefferson Montero made it 2-0 by half-time. Felipe Caicedo added a third in the second half.—AFP