Brazil’s perfect and Argentina’s right on its heels, just as many expected at the outset of CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
The rest? Well, that’s where the surprises live.
[ MORE: 2022 World Cup qualifying home base ]
Paraguay remains unbeaten but has given points to the bottom two teams, while Venezuela beat Chile at home for the first time, and Ecuador absolutely unloaded on Colombia.
Here’s what happened, plus the standings after four matchdays in South America.
Uruguay 0-2 Brazil
Brazil is a perfect 4-0 after handling Luis Suarez-less Uruguay in Montevideo.
Gabriel Jesus set up Arthur for Brazil’s first goal, and Renan Lodi cued up Richarlison for the second as the score was settled by halftime.
The cagey affair had just 11 shots, with the victorious visitors taking six and putting the match’s only four efforts on target.
There was also some Red Devil-on-Toffee crime, as Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani was sent off for this filthy tackle on Richarlison.
That’s something to note when Everton and Man United meet in a League Cup quarterfinal on Dec. 23.
Paraguay 2-2 Bolivia
The good news for Paraguay is its unbeaten in four matches to start qualifying. The bad news is two of its three draws came at home to Peru and Bolivia, the two teams stuck on one point so far.
VAR had a busy, busy day, first awarding a penalty that Angel Romero scored to give the hoss a 1-0 lead.
Marcelo Moreno answered in the 41st minute for Bolivia and the visitors made it 2-1 just before the break on a Boris Cespedes goal.
Paraguay had a Gustavo Gomez goal taken off the board by VAR before Kaku leveled the score in the second. An 88th-minute non-penalty was confirmed as such before a pair of red cards were taken off the books in stoppage time.
What it means is Paraguay sits fourth, an automatic qualifying spot, for at least four months.
Peru 0-2 Argentina
Nicolas Gonzalez and Lautaro Martinez scored 11 first-half minutes apart as Argentina stayed unbeaten in qualifying.
Spurs’ Giovani Lo Celso set up Gonzalez’s opener with a great bit of combination work down the left side.
Lionel Messi’s visitors haven’t been tested much yet -- though the 1-0 tournament-opening win over Ecuador looks good after Tuesday -- but will be when qualifying resumes in March with matches against Uruguay and Brazil.
Good, good stuff from Lo Celso here.
PER 🇵🇪 0 - 1 🇦🇷 ARG | 16' PT | ¡GOOOOOOL! Nico González abrió el marcador para la selección @Argentina. El equipo de Scaloni se pone un gol por delante del local Perú.
— Televisión Pública (@TV_Publica) November 18, 2020
Mirá las Eliminatorias #Qatar2022 EN VIVO en https://t.co/JIh8DXpAEb pic.twitter.com/7BeIfbxrtW
Ecuador 6-1 Colombia
Angel Mena had himself a day, scoring a goal and setting up two as Ecuador pounded Colombia in Quito.
The Club Leon man was set up by Xavier Arriega to make it 2-0, then cued up Michael Estrada and Gonzalo Plata for goals before the latter was sent off in the 80th minute.
Robert Arboleda and Arriega also had a goal and an assist for Ecuador, while Pervis Estupinan bagged thee final marker of the match.
A James Rodriguez goal was all Los Cafeteros could manage, and that. marker merely made it 4-1 at the break.
Venezuela 2-1 Chile
Venezuela is on the board thanks to continued stumbles by its more celebrated visitors.
Yangel Herrera cued up Luis Mago’s opener before Arturo Vidal leveled the score in the 15th minute.
It stayed that way into the 81st minute, where former West Brom and Newcastle tower Salomon Rondon showcased himself to suitors by doing what he does in front of goal.
Rondon scored nine times and four assists in 16 Chinese Super League matches this season but has been without a team since October.
84’: Check over. No penalty.
— FUTVE English (@FUTVEEnglish) November 17, 2020
Meanwhile, watch this delicious delivery from Soteldo. Rondón gets on the end of it like the seasoned pro he is. #Vinotinto #Eliminatorias 2-1. pic.twitter.com/MQ9gBPCP1x
CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table
- Brazil - 4-0-0, 12 points
- Argentina - 3-1-0, 10 points
- Ecuador - 3-0-1, 9 points
- Paraguay - 1-3-0, 6 points
- Uruguay - 2-0-2, 6 points
- Chile - 1-1-2, 4 points
- Colombia - 1-1-2, 4 points
- Venezuela - 1-0-3, 3 points
- Peru - 0-1-3, 1 point
- Bolivia - 0-1-3, 1 point