Brazil beat Venezuela in World Cup qualifier to go top
14 November, 2020
Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino scored the key goal as Brazil laboured to a 1-0 win over a well-organized but limited Venezuela within their World Cup qualifier on Friday.
Brazil have previously beaten Bolivia (5-0) and Peru (4-2) and top the South American qualifying table with Argentina second.
Firmino broke the deadlock on 66 minutes in Sao Paulo, poaching an objective after Venezuelan defender Darwin Machis' try to clear an Everton Ribeiro cross fell to him a few yards out.
Firmino's 16th goal in 47 appearances for the Selecao was enough to maintain their 100 percent record in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Venezuela, who lost their first two qualifiers, were create to contain and held the Brazilians scoreless at half amount of time in the deserted Morumbi stadium.
The hosts missed the injured Neymar's creativity in midfield, but even with an attack sporting Firmino, Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison, they may find no chance through the mass Venezuelan defence in the first half.
Richarlison did have the ball in the net early on however the Everton striker's celebrations were cut short when Firmino was adjuged to have been narrowly offside in the buildup.
For all Brazil's pressing, Wuilker Farinez had little enough to accomplish in the Venezuela goal, however the keeper made a flying save to beat away a bouncing shot from Firmino right before the half-hour, the Liverpool striker heading the resulting corner well wide.
With 75 percent possession but short of ideas in attack, almost all of Brazil's threat came from the left and it had been from there they worked their finest chance on 32 minutes, Atletico Madrid's Renan Lodi whipping in a cross that Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison, at full stretch, didn't submit to a gaping goal.
Venezuela's only threat originated from a split up the left wing by Yeferson Soteldo, whose cross for Salomon Rondon was hacked away by Marquinhos.
Rondon, formerly of West Bromwich Albion and today plying his trade for Chinese Super Lague club Dalian Professional, otherwise cut an isolated figure you should definitely busy with defensive duties.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson, who hardly touched the ball through the whole match, reacted quickly to scramble the ball away when Rondon briefly threatened the Brazil goal at the death.
Venezuela's Corinthians star Romulo Otero wasted Venezuela's only other real chance when he fired a 25-meter free kick over Ederson's bar in injury time.
A worried Brazilian coach Tite could have seen how sorely his side missed Neymar's invention.
The Paris Saint-Germain star, who suffered a thigh injury in a Champions League match last month, can be set to miss Tuesday's match with Uruguay in Montevideo.
Venezuela host a resurgent Chile in Caracas on Tuesday.
Jose Peseiro's side will probably maintain their uncomfortable record to be the only South American team to never qualify for a global Cup.
Source: www.thedailystar.net