Brazil beat Venezuela in WC qualifier to go top
Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino scored the crucial goal as Brazil laboured to a 1-0 make an impression on a well-organized but limited Venezuela within their World Cup qualifier on Friday.
Brazil have previously beaten Bolivia (5-0) and Peru (4-2) and top the South American qualifying table with Argentina second.
Firmino broke the deadlock on 66 minutes in Sao Paulo, poaching an objective after Venezuelan defender Darwin Machis' attempt to clear an Everton Ribeiro cross fell to him a few yards out.
Firmino's 16th goal in 47 appearances for the Selecao was enough to keep their 100 percent record in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Venezuela, who lost their first two qualifiers, were create to contain and held the Brazilians scoreless at half amount of time in the deserted Morumbi stadium.
The hosts missed the injured Neymar's creative imagination in midfield, but even with an attack sporting Firmino, Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison, they may find no chance through the mass Venezuelan defence in the first half.
Richarlison did have the ball in the web early on however the Everton striker's celebrations were cut short when Firmino was adjuged to have already been narrowly offside in the buildup.
For all Brazil's pressing, Wuilker Farinez had little enough to do in the Venezuela goal, but the keeper made a flying save to beat away a bouncing shot from Firmino just before the half-hour, the Liverpool striker heading the resulting corner well wide.
With 75 percent possession but short of ideas in attack, almost all of Brazil's threat originated from the left and it had been from there they worked their finest chance on 32 minutes, Atletico Madrid's Renan Lodi whipping in a cross that Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison, at full stretch, didn't submit to a gaping goal.
Venezuela's only threat originated from a break up the left wing by Yeferson Soteldo, whose cross for Salomon Rondon was hacked away by Marquinhos.
Rondon, formerly of West Bromwich Albion and today plying his trade for Chinese Super Lague club Dalian Professional, otherwise cut an isolated figure when not busy with defensive duties.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson, who hardly touched the ball through the whole match, reacted quickly to scramble the ball away when Rondon briefly threatened the Brazil goal at the death.
Venezuela's Corinthians star Romulo Otero wasted Venezuela's only other real chance when he fired a 25-meter free kick over Ederson's bar in injury time.
A worried Brazilian coach Tite will have seen how sorely his side missed Neymar's invention.
The Paris Saint-Germain star, who suffered a thigh injury in a Champions League match last month, can be set to miss Tuesday's match with Uruguay in Montevideo.
Venezuela host a resurgent Chile in Caracas on Tuesday.
Jose Peseiro's side will probably maintain their uncomfortable record to be the only South American team to never qualify for a World Cup.
Source: www.thedailystar.net
