Brazil drew 1-1 away to Ecuador in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday thanks to an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Ecuador outplayed the five-time world champions but were repeatedly foiled by the Inter goalkeeper and then fell behind when substitute Julio Baptista scored in the 74th minute.
Another substitute, Cristian Noboa, restored some justice by equalizing in the 89th minute, although a home win would have been the fairest result after a pulsating game at the Atahualpa 2,800m above sea level.
PHOTO: AFP
Brazil have 18 points from 11 games in the 10-team South American qualifying group, five behind leaders Paraguay, while Ecuador have 13.
Brazil, who drew for the sixth time in the campaign, were short on ambition and the ever-grinning Ronaldinho made a negligible contribution before being replaced by Baptista.
“We knew it would be difficult and we didn’t play our best football,” Julio Cesar told Brazilian television.
PHOTO: AP
“Their players didn’t stop running for one minute, we stood up well until the end and the goal was a punishment for us all.”
The first half ended scoreless thanks to Ecuador’s poor finishing as well as Julio Cesar.
The highlight was a double save when he blocked Edison Mendez’s free kick and then saved Joffre Guerron’s point-blank shot with his feet from the rebound.
He also parried a Cristian Benitez shot and got his fingertips to a vicious, swerving Walter Ayovi effort to turn the ball around the post.
Benitez twice headed wide while Antonio Valencia thumped a shot against the post from 20m from other chances.
The game followed the same pattern after half-time.
Benitez was left with a free shot on goal after Lucio misjudged a long ball forward but the Mexican-based striker fired wildly over.
Brazil were then caught out playing the offside trap as a long ball found Guerron on the right but his close-range volley was brilliantly saved by Julio Cesar.
Brazil stunned the crowd when Baptista scored with a shot from the edge of the penalty area, which hit the post, struck goalkeeper Jose Cevallos on the back and rebounded into the goal.
Ecuador leveled with one minute left when Mendez broke down the right, crossed and Noboa scored from the rebound after Benitez’s first effort was blocked.
There was still time for Julio Cesar to make another save on the line from a Benitez header.
The Brazilians played without Kaka, who injured his foot playing for AC Milan this month.
Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez scored the first goal and contributed to the other two as he inspired Chile to a 3-1 win away to arch-rivals Peru in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Udinese forward also suffered the foul which led to Peru’s Fiorentina star Juan Vargas being given a red card in the 53rd minute for a second bookable offence. Peru coach Guillermo del Solar said in a post-match interview that Vargas’ expulsion was the “breaking point” for his squad.
Peru coach Guillermo del Solar said in a post-match interview that Vargas’ expulsion was the “breaking point” for his team.
Vargas is now suspended for Peru’s match against Brazil tomorrow.
The win lifted Chile into third place in the 10-team South American group with 19 points from 11 games, behind Argentina on goal difference and one ahead of Brazil who drew 1-1 with Ecuador. Paraguay lead with 23 points.
Peru, lucky not to have more players dismissed for some wild tackling and incapable of stringing more than a couple of passes together, stayed bottom of the group with seven points after another dire performance.
Chile ignored a hostile reception at the Monumental stadium as Sanchez volleyed them ahead from Mark Gonzalez’s cross after two minutes.
In the 32nd minute, Sanchez was upended by Vargas and Humberto Suazo fired home the resulting penalty.
Johan Fano pulled one back two minutes later but Vargas’ dismissal ended any hopes of a Peruvian fightback.
Chile continued to attack in numbers, a hallmark of their enigmatic Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, and settled the game in the 72nd minute.
Suazo found Sanchez on the right and he pulled the ball back for Matias Fernandez to score into an empty net after a swift counter-attack.
It was Chile’s first victory in Lima in 24 years.
The game held added weight in Peru’s capital, where anti-Chilean sentiment, lingering from Peru’s loss in a 19th century border war, has swelled since Lima presented a demand against its wealthier neighbor this month in the Hague over a maritime dispute.
Last year Peru’s army chief was forced to resign when a video surfaced on the internet showing the general telling a social gathering that any Chilean who comes to Peru should “leave in a coffin.”
Peru, who last qualified for the World Cup in 1982 when they were a dominant force in South America, are almost certain to miss out again and were left contemplating a four-year wait before they can have another try.
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