Bolivia This Tuesday he got his first victory against Chili as a visitor for South American Qualifiersby winning 2-1 in Santiago on the eighth date on the road to the World Cup 2026.
La Verde ended a 31-year drought without visiting victories thanks to two quick counterattacks that were finished off by forwards Carmelo Algarañaz and Miguel Terceros in the 13th and 46th minutes, thanks to two passes from winger Roberto Fernández.
Forward Eduardo Vargas tied the score in the 39th minute, in a controversial play where he stole the ball from goalkeeper Carlos Lampe, who had fallen to the ground due to an injury.
Bolivia reached the play-offs in seventh place with nine points. Chile is increasingly far from the next World Cup in North America with five points and in ninth place out of 10.
The Altiplano team gave the ball to Chile from the first minute to take refuge in their own field. And in the first opportunity of counterattack they scored.
The winger Roberto Fernández ran down his left wing after a loss of the team led by Ricardo Garecaand he made a cool pass almost at the penalty spot that Algarañaz converted without any Chilean defender bothering him.
Chile did not create too much fear after the opening goal, but an injury to Lampe allowed veteran Eduardo Vargas to tie the game.
The goalkeeper received a pass and fell to the ground with a leg injury. Vargas, who was a metre away from the Bolivian, took the ball and ran towards the empty goal to make it a provisional equaliser.
Lampe left the field on a stretcher, while his teammates confronted the Chileans for having continued the play despite their teammate’s injury.
But Bolivian frustration turned into euphoria in just a few minutes.
In a play almost identical to the visitors’ first goal, Fernández again overflowed down his flank so that this time Miguel Terceros put Bolivia ahead again just before half-time.
The home team came out strong in the second half, but as the minutes passed they began to get desperate. Bolivia, who took advantage of every foul to kill time, dedicated themselves to protecting the result.
As the match drew to a close, Paraguayan referee Juan Benítez awarded a penalty for an alleged handball by defender Diego Medina, but the VAR ruled it out, much to the frustration of the crowd at the National Stadium in Santiago.
In the added time, goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra, who had come on to replace Lampe, stayed and repelled all the balls thrown into the area.
Bolivia thus closes a dream double date, in which it kept the six available points and is looking forward to the World Cup. In October, the Verde will receive Colombia in El Alto (4,150 m above sea level) and then will visit Argentina.
Chile, meanwhile, will have the difficult challenge of hosting Brazil in Santiago and then traveling to Colombia.
Summary of Chile vs Bolivia for the South American Qualifiers
Source: Ambito
