With the clock ticking down, Chile doubled their lead, Sanchez finishing at the second attempt from Arturo Vidal’s low cross on 90 minutes.
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Eduardo Vargas and Alexis Sanchez scored second-half goals as Chile overcame Brazil 2-0 while Ecuador sprang a surprise snatching their first qualifying triumph on Argentinian soil in seven attempts, courtesy of late strikes by Frickson Erazo and Felipe Caicedo in the opening 2018 World Cup qualifying round.
“It’s very hard for a coach to talk about changes after a 2-0 defeat”.
To compound Argentina’s misery, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero limped off injured midway through the first half and will miss next Tuesday’s match away to Paraguay. “Ecuador were superior to us in every department”. “Beating teams like this gives us hope that we can qualify for Russian Federation”.
Earlier in the evening, Uruguay, Paraguay and Colombia all made wining starts to their campaigns.
The hosts had another big chance in the 68th minute, but Gonzalez dragged his shot across goal after being played in down the left by Vidal.
Group leaders Germany, with 19 points, remain in the box seat and will go through with a win or a draw in their final encounter against Georgia.
Poland and Ireland face each other in Warsaw on Sunday. La Albirroja last experienced that winning feeling on the road in the penultimate round of games in the South Africa 2010 qualifiers, when they downed the Venezuelans 2-1.
In Jefferson Montero and Antonio Avelencia, Ecuador have two lightning quick wingers who will fancy their chances against an already slow Argentina defense that is even more compromised with the injury and withdrawal of Marcos Rojo.
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Ecuador, who have qualified for the finals on just three occasions, troubled Argentina out wide the entire game and the home side could not impose themselves on a team 30 places below them in the Federation Internationale de Football Association rankings.
