Chile qualifies for World Cup, Argentina back on track

BUENOS AIRES/MEDELLIN - Chile qualified Saturday for the 2010 World Cup while Argentina obtained a dramatic injury-time win to get back on track to South Africa.

Chile obtained a solid 4-2 away win in Medellin, Colombia, as Argentina beat Peru 2-1 in Buenos Aires despite another very poor performance.

Uruguay also needed an injury-time goal to defeat Ecuador 2-1 in Quito, while Paraguay beat Venezuela 2-1 in Puerto Ordaz.

The top four teams in South America’s qualifiers secure a place in the World Cup, while the fifth-placed team gets to clash in a playoff against a side from North or Central America or the Caribbean.

Chile joined Brazil and Paraguay as qualified sides.

With only one round of play pending, Argentina stand fourth with 25 points in 17 matches. Uruguay have 24 points, and Ecuador have 23, while Venezuela are on 21.

In Medellin, host Colombia pulled ahead in the 13th minute with an own goal from Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal. Waldo Ponce equalized in the 35th minute, and striker Humberto Suazo put Chile 2-1 up just one minute later.

Giovanni Moreno made things 2-2 in the 63rd minute, but Colombia’s hope of making it to South Africa was short-lived. Jorge Valdivia again put Chile ahead in the 71st minute, while Fabian Orellana set the definitive 4-2 in the 78th minute.

In Santiago, thousands of people poured out onto the streets to celebrate Chile’s first qualification for a World Cup since 1998. Chile’s Argentine coach Macelo Bielsa praised his men’s “rebelliousness” on the pitch.

A lacklustre Argentina just scraped a win in Buenos Aires.

In his national team debut, Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain put Argentina ahead to start the second half. In the 89th minute, Hernan Rengifo equalized with a header, only for veteran striker Martin Palermo to give Argentina a by-then unlikely goal almost three minutes into injury time.

Coach Diego Maradona and several of his teammates agreed to define the key goalscorer as “Saint Palermo.”

“This is a most important goal for me,” said the striker, famous for having once missed three penalty shots in a single match with the national team.

Maradona defined the win as “dramatic” and admitted that Peru’s goal, in the middle of a wind and rain storm in Buenos Aires, was a shock.

“We weren’t expecting it, the match was already over,” he said. “Then came yet another miracle from Saint Palermo which gives us one more life.”

In the 47th minute, a great pass from Aimar set up Higuain, who scored with an elegant right-foot shot.

Ten minutes later, Romero blocked a good shot from Carlos Zambrano, and Luis Ramirez picked up the rebound. Emiliano Insua blocked the ball with his arm, but the referee failed to award Peru a penalty.

A close-range header from Rengifo in the 89th minute appeared to give Peru a well-deserved draw. However, Boca Juniors veteran Palermo gave the host a dramatic win, though arguably from an off-side position.

A last-minute penalty converted by striker Diego Forlan sealed a crucial 2-1 comeback win for Uruguay in Ecuador to keep up their hopes of reaching the 2010 World Cup.

At high altitude in Quito, Manchester’s Luis Antonio Valencia put Ecuador ahead in the 67th minute. However, Ecuador appeared confidently headed for South Africa for only two minutes, until Luis Suarez equalized off a Forlan cross.

In a nervous match, the referee failed to award Ecuador two penalties and missed another one for Uruguay. Three minutes into injury time, Ecuador keeper Marcelo Elizaga brought Edison Cavani down, and the referee awarded Uruguay a penalty that Forlan converted to make the score 2-1.

Already-qualified Paraguay virtually ended Venezuela’s hopes to reach the 2010 World Cup with a 2-1 win Saturday.

Already-qualified Brazil were playing already-eliminated Bolivia Sunday in La Paz.

The South American World Cup qualifiers were set to end Wednesday. The final round features the matches Uruguay-Argentina, Brazil-Venezuela, Paraguay-Colombia and Chile-Ecuador.

With nothing at stake, Peru are set to host Bolivia in a clash of South America’s worst two sides.