Football

Argentina's World Cup qualifying campaign hit a roadblock as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela, despite Lionel Messi's return. Messi's free-kick set up Nicolas Otamendi's early opener, but Salomon Rondon's header equalized for Venezuela. Argentina remain atop the standings, but the draw dents their hopes of a comfortable qualification.Meanwhile, Brazil got their campaign back on track with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Chile. Eduardo Vargas gave Chile an early lead, but Savinho and Igor Jesus equalized for Brazil. Luiz Henrique's late strike secured the win, moving Brazil into fourth place.Bolivia boosted their World Cup hopes with a gutsy 1-0 win over Colombia in the thin air of El Alto. Miguel Terceros' stunning individual goal lifted Bolivia into the automatic qualification positions. Bolivia's move to play qualifiers in El Alto has paid off, with two wins in two games at the high-altitude venue.Ecuador and Paraguay played out a goalless draw in Quito, leaving Ecuador in fifth place. The top six finishers in South America's 10-team round-robin qualifying competition will earn a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Canada's historic run in the Copa America continued on Friday as they reached the semi-finals after a thrilling 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Venezuela. The match, which ended 1-1 after regulation time, saw Canada display relentless energy and determination to overcome a resilient Venezuelan side.Jacob Shaffelburg gave Canada an early lead in the 13th minute, but Salomon Rondon equalized for Venezuela in the 64th minute. Both teams failed to score from the spot twice in the shootout, leaving it at 3-3 after five penalties each.Canada goalkeeper Max Crepeau, who had made a costly error for Venezuela's equalizer, redeemed himself by saving Wilker Angel's kick in sudden death. Ismael Kone then converted the winning penalty to send Canada into the semi-finals, where they will face world champions Argentina.Canada's performance was a testament to the team's progress under American coach Jesse Marsch, who took over in mid-May. The Canadians played with high energy and pressing, giving Venezuela little time on the ball.Despite losing 2-0 to Argentina in the opening game of the group stage, Canada has shown remarkable resilience and determination throughout the tournament. Their victory over Venezuela, who won all three of their group stage games, is a testament to their growing confidence and ability.Canada will face a daunting task in the semi-finals against Argentina, but Marsch will believe his team can pull off another upset and reach the final in Miami on July 14.

Venezuela secured their berth in the Copa America quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mexico on Wednesday, while Jamaica's tournament hopes were dashed.Mexico-based striker Salomon Rondon converted a penalty in the 57th minute to give Venezuela the lead, which they held onto despite Mexico's late push. Mexico's Orbelin Pineda missed a penalty in the 87th minute, allowing Venezuela to claim all three points.Venezuela now sit atop Group B with six points from two games, while Mexico can still qualify for the knockout rounds with a win over Ecuador in their final group match on Sunday.Jamaica's elimination was confirmed following their 3-1 loss to Ecuador earlier on Wednesday. Ecuador took an early lead through a Kasey Palmer own goal and a penalty from Kendry Paez. Jamaica pulled one back through Michail Antonio, but Ecuador sealed the win with a late goal from Alan Minda.Ecuador's victory keeps their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals alive, while Jamaica's tournament ends with two losses.