Colombia exacted revenge for their Copa America final defeat by edging out Argentina 2-1 in a thrilling South American qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup. The victory propelled Colombia to second place in the standings, just two points behind leaders Argentina.
Colombia's triumph was orchestrated by captain James Rodriguez, who coolly converted a 60th-minute penalty. The spot-kick was awarded after Nicolas Otamendi's reckless challenge on Daniel Munoz. Rodriguez's goal proved decisive, as Argentina's penalty specialist Emiliano Martinez was unable to stop it.
The match began brightly for Colombia, who took the lead in the 25th minute through Yerson Mosquera's header. However, Argentina responded swiftly after the break, with Nicolas Gonzalez equalizing in the 48th minute.
Despite the setback, Colombia remained resolute and regained the lead through Rodriguez's penalty. The victory was a sweet moment for Colombia, who had been defeated by Argentina in the Copa America final just two months prior.
Meanwhile, Brazil's qualifying campaign hit a snag as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay in Asuncion. Diego Gomez's long-range strike in the 20th minute proved to be the difference, leaving Brazil in fifth place in the standings.
Elsewhere, Chile's hopes of qualifying took a further blow as they lost 2-1 at home to Bolivia. Carmelo Algaranaz and Miguel Terceros scored for Bolivia, while Chile's only goal came from Alexis Sanchez. The defeat leaves Chile languishing in ninth place, with their chances of reaching the World Cup dwindling.
In other matches, Ecuador boosted their qualification hopes with a 1-0 win over Peru in Quito, while Uruguay and Venezuela played out a goalless draw.
Tags: #Colombia, #Argentina, #WorldCupQualifiers, #JamesRodriguez, #LionelMessi
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