Brazil 2-1 Colombia: Vinicius Junior the hero deep in stoppage time
Colombia are at home against Paraguay after this game and know two positive results will go a long way in booking their ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Brazil appeared more energized than in previous games, with speed, high skill and an early goal from the spot suggesting that coach Dorival Júnior had found a starting lineup to get the job done. The five-time World Cup champions started strong and grabbed the lead within six minutes through a Raphinha penalty after Vinicius Jr was fouled inside the box by Daniel Munoz. As for Colombia, well, they’re one point and one place above Brazil in the table and are looking good to qualify for their first World Cup since 2018 as they missed out making it to Qatar in 2022.
Wolves duo Andre and Matheus Cunha could line up alongside Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton in midfield as there is a heavy Premier League feel to this squad. Brazil will be hoping to get at least four points from their games against Colombia and Argentina in this window to cement themselves in the automatic qualification spots. They need the trio of Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Raphinha to deliver in attack to get them over the line. Paraguay remained unbeaten under coach Gustavo Alfaro with a tense 1-0 win over Chile in front of raucous fans in Asuncion.
Liverpool forward Luis Diaz is their undisputed star in attack, while Colombia have a lovely balance of youth and experience in their squad. Veterans David Ospina, James Rodriguez and Yerry Mina are still leading the way, while Jhon Duran, Daniel Munoz, Davinson Sanchez and Jefferson Lerma are all names Premier League fans know well. Brazil’s murky qualifying run for the 2026 World Cup got a late and big lift on Thursday, when Vinicius Junior’s goal in the ninth minute of stoppage time boosted the hosts to a 2-1 win over Colombia. Instead, Brazil moved to second spot behind Argentina after Vinicius Júnior’s long-range goal.
But the pressure to find a goal appeared to take the wind out of their sails 1win colombia and as they wasted one chance after another, manager Dorival Jr, who took the job a year ago, grew increasingly forlorn on the sidelines. In the 40th minute, James Rodriguez pounced on a lapse in concentration from Newcastle midfielder Joelinton, taking possession on the edge of the box and finding Diaz who fired into the bottom right corner to equalise. Both teams struggled with accuracy in the second half until Vinicius Júnior took a shot from long distance which deflected off Jefferson Lerma and beat goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
Goalkeeper Alisson and Colombian defender Davinson Sánchez were substituted in the concussion protocol, and will also miss the next match in World Cup qualifying. Raphinha had put Brazil ahead from the penalty spot very early in the game, but Luis Diaz delivered an equalizer before the break. They were also exposed to regular counterattacks with Colombia constantly threatening goalkeeper Alisson’s box. But Brazil hit a wall after that and other than an angled strike from Rodrygo that sailed wide of the post in the 13th minute, they couldn’t create any real scoring opportunities. Bolivia remains in seventh place with 13 points, which keeps the team in contention for inter-continental playoffs for World Cup spots. The visitors got the ball at the edge of Brazil’s box from substitute Joeliton, who replaced injured Gerson.
The hosts dominated most of the match and maintained pressure on their rivals, who could barely create scoring opportunities. After that, Brazil kept possession, but didn’t put on real pressure to add a second in front of 70,000 fans. SAO PAULO (AP) — A last-minute goal by Vinicius Júnior secured Brazil’s 2-1 win over Colombia in World Cup qualifying on Thursday, helping his team and millions of fans avoid more disappointment. Los Cafeteros were going really well early in qualifying but three defeats in their last four games has seen them drop down the standings. Still, they’re looking good for automatic qualification and with Duran, Diaz and James in attack, they are very dangerous and have a great mix of speed, trickery and power. Defensively they have plenty of experience and they will dig in and make this very tough for Brazil and look to the likes of Diaz to create chances on the counter.
SAO PAULO — A last-minute goal by Vinicius Júnior has secured Brazil’s 2-1 win over Colombia in World Cup qualifying and helped his team avoid more disappointment. Instead, Brazil moved to second spot behind Argentina after Vinicius Júnior’s long-range goal. The top six teams are guaranteed spots at next year’s World Cup in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The victory released some pressure on Brazil coach Dorival Júnior ahead of Tuesday’s game at Argentina. Dorival Junior’s side have won just five of their 12 CONMEBOL qualifiers so far, as they have a five-point cushion over seventh-place.
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