March 30, (THEWILL) – A 4-0 victory over Bolivia in La Paz on Tuesday, allowed Brazil keep their perfect record in the Qatar FIFA World Cup qualifying for 2022 intact as they finished ahead of the chasing pack in the South America (CONMEBOL) qualifying series.
Lucas Paqueta, Richarlison, and Bruno Guimaraes scored in the first half at the famously difficult Estadio Hernando Siles, even though the Brazilians had already secured their ticket to Qatar.
In the first 20 minutes, the hosts had the best chance, with Henry Vaca cutting inside on Marquinhos and firing straight at Allisson Becker.
They were made to pay only moments later, when Paqueta, a Lyon player, played a one-two with Guimaraes before coolly finishing with only Ruben Cordano to beat in the Bolivian goal, in the 24th minute.
Richarlison doubled the lead right before halftime with a straightforward tap-in. It was a brilliant effort as Brazil took control of possession with Fabinho covering up metres down the pitch before distributing, allowing Antony to find the Everton attacker free at the back post who scored.
In the altitude of La Paz, it was not all clear skies for the Selecao, with Alisson called into action again in the 52nd minute to keep away Ramiro Vaca’s deflected shot.
Only two minutes later, Alisson was forced to scramble after Henry Vaca delivered a dangerous cross to the back post for his namesake, who was unable to get a foot on the ball for what would have been a definite goal.
When given the chance, Brazil was ruthless, and Guimaraes made it three in the 66th minute after another rapid counter, volleying home a first-time volley after good work from Gabriel Martinelli.
After a Guimaraes dash below the defensive line, Richarlison completed the scoring during injury time, following up Rodrygo’s original effort.
Although Tite’s team were far from dominant without Neymar, Casemiro, Vinicius Junior, or Fred, they did enough to win their 14th consecutive game to wrap up the schedule.
There is still one outstanding fixture for Brazil’s qualification series to be complete. It is the postponed game against arch-rivals Argentina, which is slated to be rescheduled.
At this point, the match against their arch rivals will most likely be little more than a glorified friendly as both sides prepare for the global tournament in Qatar.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
