Alexis Sanchez & Co. started their qualifying campaign on a winning note.
Chile scored their first victory over Brazil in 15 years on Thursday
after goals from Eduardo Vargas and Alexis Sanchez sent the five-time world
champions spinning to a 2-0 defeat as South America's 2018 World Cup qualifiers
got under way.
Vargas, one of the heroes of Chile's victorious Copa America campaign,
picked up where he left off in that tournament with a wonderful volley on 72
minutes to fire the hosts into the lead at Santiago's Estadio Nacional.
Arsenal star Sanchez then applied the coup de grace in the 90th minute,
jabbing home from close range after a wonderful flowing move which ripped
Brazil's defence apart.
Ecuador scored two goals in a minute to upset Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Meanwhile, Argentina suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Ecuador as goals
from Frickson Erazo and Felipe Caicedo secured a famous upset in Buenos Aires.
A miserable night for Argentina - missing injured captain Lionel Messi -
was completed by what looked like a serious hamstring injury for striker Sergio
Aguero, stretchered off after only 20 minutes.
A lacklustre match looked to be heading for a goalless draw until Erazo
headed in from a corner on 81 minutes to give Ecuador a shock lead which
silenced the Estadio Monumental.
A minute later, Antonio Valencia burst clear down the right flank and
squared for Caicedo, who coolly tucked away a low finish past Manchester United
goalkeeper Sergio Romero.
The defeat is certain to pile pressure on Argentina coach Gerardo
Martino, already under scrutiny after his side failed to end their title
drought in this year's Copa America.
Brazil had been desperate to move on from a disappointing Copa America
campaign which followed their humiliating 7-1 drubbing against Germany in last
year's World Cup semi-finals.
But the Brazilians, badly missing suspended captain Neymar, struggled to
find a way through a physical Chile who were fortunate to finish the game with
11 men on the pitch.
A hard-fought first half was light on goal scoring chances, with the
best efforts coming in a flurry of action shortly before half-time when Chile
almost took the lead through Sanchez.
The Arsenal forward crashed a shot against the post on 42 minutes with
Brazilian `keeper Jefferson beaten. Moments later Gonzalo Jara forced the
Brazilian No.1 into a save with a low shot.
Brazil then had their best chance of the game with recalled striker
Hulk, deputising for Neymar, testing Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo with a
rasping angled shot.
Chile hit the woodwork again early in the second half through Mauricio
Isla before the breakthrough came through Vargas.
The 25-year-old Hoffenheim forward lost his marker superbly before
steering home Matias Fernandez's free-kick at the near post to send the home
crowd into raptures.
With the clock ticking down, Chile doubled their lead, Sanchez finishing
at the second attempt from Arturo Vidal's low cross on 90 minutes.
In earlier matches Uruguay beat Bolivia 2-0, Paraguay won 1-0 away at
Venezuela while Colombia beat Peru 2-0.
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