At the South American World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday, Raphinha scored two penalties to help Brazil defeat Peru 4-0, giving the team a resounding victory at home. This performance followed Brazil's 2-1 victory over Chile, which gave the national team a boost following a run of disappointing qualification losses.
Brazil dominated possession and created multiple chances early in the game, displaying a vibrant and improved performance. Before halftime, Brazil led 1-0 thanks to a penalty kick by Raphinha in the 38th minute after Carlos Zambrano of Peru was given one for handball.
After Zambrano fouled Savinho in the box, the Barcelona attacker scored again in the 54th minute, this time from his second penalty. As they looked to restore their momentum in the qualifications, Brazil had a commanding lead thanks in large part to Raphinha's services.
Brazil maintained their dominance of the game's pace, adding a third goal in the seventieth minute. After a well-placed cross from Luiz Henrique, substitute Andreas Pereira displayed his flair with an acrobatic volley. Brazil's superiority in the game was further highlighted by this goal.
The resounding 4-0 victory for Brazil was completed just two minutes later when Luiz Henrique himself scored a low shot from the box's edge. The team's victory was a significant turning point as they moved up to fourth place in the standings with 16 points after ten games, behind Uruguay in third place on goal differential.
Raphinha was pleased with the team's performance and said that winning the last two games was crucial to getting back on track. He admitted that even though the group is becoming better, more needs to be done to make their gameplay flawless.
Argentina, meanwhile, secured 22 points and maintained their lead over Colombia in second place after defeating Bolivia 6-0 to take the top spot in the rankings. Davinson Sanchez opened the goal in the 34th minute as Colombia defeated last-place Chile 4-0, demonstrating their outstanding play as well.
Luis Diaz doubled Colombia's lead early in the second half with an easy finish into an empty net after a defensive error by Chile. Jhon Duran and Luis Sinisterra added to the scoreline as Chile faced their fifth consecutive defeat in the qualifiers.
With a 2-1 victory over Venezuela, Paraguay moved up to sixth place in the rankings with 13 points. Bolivia is at the bottom of the standings, and they are tied with Ecuador in fifth position. A trip to the 2026 World Cup finals in North America is assured for the top six qualifying teams.
Brazil is determined to make it to the World Cup, as evidenced by their better form and dominant performance against Peru as the qualifiers go on. As each team strives for the top spot in the standings, the forthcoming games will be vital.
Fans anxiously await the next round of matches in the South American World Cup qualifiers as the fight for qualification heats up and each team's performance is scrutinized.
