Brazil draws while Argentina, Uruguay lead way to South Africa

In a game that was delayed more than 30 minutes by heavy rain in Bogota, Kaka, Ronaldinho and Robinho failed to score for five-time world champions Brazil.

 Colombia may have deserved better. The home side claimed that Wason Renteria was brought down in the box in the 13th minute, but the referee did not grant a penalty kick. Colombia coach Jorge Luis Pinto was sent off for his protests.

 On Saturday, Argentina - which lost to Brazil in the final of this year's Copa America - got moving in the direction of South Africa in style by beating Chile 2-0 in Buenos Aires.

 Both goals were scored by talented playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, who has not played club football for months after being sidelined by his team, Villarreal, in a dispute with his coach and club officials.

 Argentine national coach Alfio Basile's decision to call Riquelme despite his long absence from competitive play was controversial. The midfielder netted the ball twice on free-kicks to eclipse the likes of Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez.

 Coached by former Argentina manager Marcelo Bielsa, Chile held its own relatively well in the face of Argentina's theoretically better team, despite playing with 10 men after the 53rd minute.

 "I am happy because Argentina won, and people see that we try to play good football. At home we are under the obligation to win, and we want to get to the World Cup as quickly as possible," said Riquelme.

 Uruguay delivered the widest victory of the weekend with a 5-0 thrashing of Bolivia in Montevideo, with goals by Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan, Sebastian Abreu, Vicente Sanchez and Carlos Bueno. Bolivia played more than half the game with 10 men.

 "We have to move calmly," Uruguayan coach Oscar Tabarez said. "Today's victory cannot give rise to an exaggerated euphoria."

   Venezuela stunned Ecuador by winning 1-0 in Quito's trying altitude, 2,800 metres above sea level. Jose Manuel Rey scored an amazing goal from a free kick almost at the midfield line, while Ecuador - which has reached the last two World Cups - failed to turn its dominance into goals.

 Ecuadorian media were eloquent in their headlines, stressing that the national team "betrayed its history" and speaking among other things of "surprise and pain" and "a bucket of cold water."

   Venezuela, whose dominant sport is baseball, has traditionally been the weak sister of South American football and has never played a World Cup. However, coach Richard Paez has stressed that this is the best Venezuelan national team ever.

 Without star striker Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay was held to a goalless draw in Lima despite creating numerous chances.

 In the South American qualifiers, each of the 10 teams involved play all the others at home and away.

 In the second round of play, Argentina will visit Venezuela on Tuesday, and Wednesday will see four more games: Bolivia-Colombia, Paraguay-Uruguay, Chile-Peru and Brazil-Ecuador.

 The top four finishers win a place in the World Cup, with the fifth-place team facing a representative of the North, Central American and Caribbean region in a playoff. dpa