Ecstatic welcome Del Potro sends home for triumphant Nadal packing Afghan16 cricketers SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2013 18 Gazi’s maiden ton lights up run-laden Test against NZ Page 16 ECUADOR: Uruguayan Luis Suarez (center) vies for the ball with Ecuadoreans Cristian Noboa (left) Frickson Erazo (right) and an unidentified player during their Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup South American qualifier match. — AFP Colombia qualify, Uruguay face likely playoff BUENOS AIRES: Colombia qualified for the 2014 Vidal in the 19th minute after striker Eduardo in Buenos Aires with Ezequiel Lavezzi scoring World Cup finals while Ecuador and Chile all but Vargas was brought down. Sanchez then scored twice after Claudio Pizarro’s fine 21st-minute World Cup European qualifying results/standings sealed tickets on Friday leaving Uruguay most twice in seven minutes to stun the Colombians opener for Peru. likely to play a fourth successive inter-continen- and put Chile three up inside the opening half The fifth-place playoff berth has become a Group A Group E tal playoff to join them in Brazil next year. hour. Uruguay fixture at the last three World Cups with Croatia 1, Belgium 2; Wales 1, Macedonia 0. Slovenia 3, Norway 0; Albania 1, Switzerland 2 Colombia fought back with striker Radamel With Chile having lost Carlos Carmona to a them qualifying that way in 2002 and 2010, Iceland 2, Cyprus 0. Falcao converting two late penalties against a red card in the 66th minute, Teo Gutierrez pulled when they went on to reach the semi-finals, PW D LFAPts Chile side inspired by Alexis Sanchez’s first-half one back in the 69th and fellow striker Falcao though they lost to Australia in the playoff in Switzerland• 9 6 3 0 16 6 21 Belgium• 9 8 1 0 17 3 25 brace for a 3-3 draw and the point that put them added two penalties in the last 15 to secure 2006. Iceland 9 5 1 3 16 14 16 in their first finals since 1998 with a match to Colombia the point they needed. Finishing fifth will put them into a two-legged Croatia 9 5 2 2 12 7 17 Slovenia 9 5 0 4 14 10 15 spare. Montero put Ecuador ahead when he ghost- playoff agtainst Asian qualifiers Jordan next Serbia 9 3 2 4 13 10 11 Norway 9 3 2 4 9 12 11 “I was surprised by what happened to us ... it ed in behind Maxi Pereira to steer the ball home month. The defeat in Ecuador where Luis Suarez, Wales 9 3 0 6 8 19 9 Albania 9 3 1 5 9 11 10 could have been due the pressure accumulated as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera failed to cut out joint top scorer with Messi in the group with 10 Scotland 9 2 2 5 6 12 8 Cyprus 9 1 1 7 4 15 4 over a long time,” said Colombia’s coach Jose Antonio Valencia’s cross. goals, came closest to an equaliser with a dip- Macedonia 9 2 1 6 6 11 7 • Qualified for 2014 World Cup finals Pekerman after his side, who had won five home In Quito, Jefferson Montero scored on the half ping free kick has left Uruguay with a tough task • Qualified for 2014 World Cup finals qualifiers in a row, conceded three goals in the hour to give Ecuador a 1-0 home win over on Tuesday to beat Argentina by a big score in a Group F Portugal 1, Israel 1; Luxembourg 0, Russia 4; opening half hour before fighting back. Uruguay and climb to third in the South bid for an automatic ticket. Group B Azerbaijan 2, Northern Ireland 0. “I’m very proud of my team, I’ve rarely seen a American group behind leaders Argentina, who A draw in Santiago, where Chile host Ecuador, Malta 1, Czech Republic 4; Denmark 2, Italy 2; national team in this kind of match get back from qualified last month, and Colombia. The Ecuador will ensure both take the last two automatic Armenia 2, Bulgaria 1. 3-0 down,” the Argentine told the post-match team did a lap in honour of their late team mate places in Brazil. Ecuador have a goal difference of Russia 9 7 0 2 19 4 21 Portugal 9 5 3 1 17 9 18 news conference. Cristian Benitez, who died suddenly of heart fail- plus five, Chile plus three and Uruguay, who are Italy• 9 6 3 0 17 7 21 Israel 9 3 4 2 18 13 13 Chile’s coach Jorge Sampaoli, said: “Bitter ure in July. three points behind them both, minus one. Azerbaijan 9 1 5 3 6 10 8 about the final result, given how things went in Venezuela’s slim hopes of going to the finals Going into Tuesday’s last round of the Bulgaria 9 3 4 2 14 8 13 Denmark 9 3 4 2 11 12 13 Northern Ireland 9 1 3 5 8 16 6 the first half, and now hopeful going to seek the for the first time ended in a 1-1 draw at home to marathon 16-match group, Argentina have 32 Luxembourg 9 1 3 5 7 23 6 match that will give our qualification.” Paraguay, while a rampant Argentina, without points, Colombia 27, Ecuador and Chile 25 and Czech Republic 9 3 3 3 12 9 12 Armenia 9 4 0 5 10 11 12 Chile went ahead with a penalty by Arturo Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain, beat Peru 3-1 Uruguay 22. — Reuters Group G Malta 9 1 0 8 5 22 3 Lithuania 2 Latvia 0; Greece 1 Slovakia 0; Bosnia 4 • Qualified for 2014 World Cup finals Liechtenstein 1. Neymar scores stunner as Bosnia 9 7 1 1 29 6 22 Group C Sweden 2, Austria 1; Faroe Islands 1, Kazakhstan Greece 9 7 1 1 10 4 22 1; Germany 3, Ireland 0. Slovakia 9 3 3 3 9 8 12 Brazil defeat South Korea Lithuania 9 3 2 4 9 10 11 Latvia 9 2 1 6 8 18 7 Germany• 9 8 1 0 31 7 25 Liechtenstein 9 0 2 7 4 23 2 SEOUL: Brazil star Neymar weathered some harsh The Brazilian threw up his hands in exaspera- ers before threading a pass to Oscar, whose shot Sweden 9 6 2 1 16 9 20 attention before scoring a stunning free-kick as tion and had a few testy moments with other travelled over the bar. Austria 9 4 2 3 17 10 14 Group H he led the World Cup hosts to a 2-0 friendly win players, even getting into a shoving match near But after being brought down for the Ireland 9 3 2 4 13 16 11 Ukraine 1, Poland 0; Moldova 3, San Marino 0; over South Korea yesterday. the team benches late in the first half. umpteenth time, Neymar took matters into his Kazakhstan 9 1 2 6 5 18 5 England 4, Montenegro 1. The Barcelona forward curled his shot past “I think we simply played football, whereas own hands as he opened the scoring with his free Faroe Islands 9 0 1 8 4 26 1 England 9 5 4 0 29 4 19 Korean goalie Jung Sung-Ryong just before half- South Korea tried too hard,” said Brazil coach Luiz kick. Brazil doubled their lead just three minutes • Qualified for 2014 World Cup finals time, with Chelsea’s Oscar getting the visitors’ Felipe Scolari. “In the first half, they had twice as into the second half. Paulinho put Oscar through Ukraine 9 5 3 1 20 4 18 Montenegro 9 4 3 2 16 12 15 second shortly after the break. many fouls as we had. I think they were fouling and the midfielder went past the helpless Jung Group D Neymar, 21, had been in doubt for the game too much early on.” Hong Myung-Bo defended before putting it into the gaping net. Poland 9 3 4 2 18 10 13 Netherlands 8, Hungary 1; Andorra 0, Romania 4; after a heavy fall in training, and he was hit with his players’ physical play, saying they “played it South Korea brought on Son Heung-Min in Moldova 9 2 2 5 7 15 8 Estonia 0, Turkey 2. some tough challenges and constant close mark- fair and didn’t lose their cool.” the 65th minute, hoping the Bayer Leverkusen San Marino 9 0 0 9 1 46 0 ing in front of a near-capacity crowd. “Some of our players are still young and I think winger could add some spark to the lethargic Netherlands• 9 8 1 0 32 5 25 Group I But the young idol had the last laugh at Seoul they will learn from this experience,” said Hong, attack. Spain 2, Belarus 1. World Cup Stadium when he thumped his strike who has just one victory in seven matches since And the home side were more lively in the last Turkey 9 5 1 3 16 7 16 Romania 9 5 1 3 17 12 16 over the wall and to the right of Jung, who got a taking over in June. half-hour, with Lee Chung-Yong heading a corner Spain 7 5 2 0 12 3 17 Hungary 9 4 2 3 19 20 14 hand to the ball but could not keep it out. “I am sure they gained confidence from this, wide in the 68th minute. It was as close as South France 7 4 2 1 12 6 14 Neymar was targeted from start to finish as and it’s an important part of our team.