ECUADOR EDGE CLOSER TO QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION
Ecuador is one win away from returning to the World Cup after a 1-1 home draw with South American qualifying leaders Brazil. Coach Gustavo Alfaro’s team will qualify to play in Qatar if it beats Peru next week. Elsewhere on Thursday, Chile, once a force in the region, saw its chances shrink dramatically after a 2-1 home loss to second-place Argentina who had rested Lionel Messi for the game.
The Chileans will have to pull good results at Bolivia and Brazil, with their last match in the competition likely to be in Santiago against bitter rival Uruguay. Uruguay, meanwhile, rose back to contention after a 1nil win at Paraguay, with a goal by veteran Luis Suarez, it was the team’s first win for new coach Diego Alonso, who took over after veteran Oscar Tabárez was fired due to poor results. South America has four direct World Cup spots, and the fifth-place team will play an international playoff for a berth.
