Willian brace lifts Brazil, Argentina held to draw

Brazil kick-started their South American World Cup qualifying campaign with a 3-1 victory over Venezuela as Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay posted their second wins and Argentina gained their first point.

Willian scored twice -- in the 37th second and again the 42nd minute as Brazil rebounded from a humbling loss to Chile last Thursday as qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia got underway.

“It was a great game, we could have scored even more goals,” said the Chelsea star, who opened the scoring with a hard shot that Venezuelan goalkeeper Alain Baroja couldn’t control.

He doubled the score with another hard shot past Baroja, set up by a scintillating solo run by Filipe Luis. Venezuela responded through Christian Santos in the 64th, but 35-year-old striker Ricardo Oliveira sealed the win for Brazil in the 73rd.

While Brazil were celebrating their first three points of the young campaign, Copa America champions Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay all notched their second victories in as many matches to stand tied on six points apiece. Chile defeated 10-man Peru 4-3 in Lima, Ecuador followed up their shock defeat of Argentina last week with a 2-0 victory over Bolivia in Quito and Uruguay downed Colombia 3-0 in Montevideo.

Argentina, still struggling to shake off the disappointment of losing the Copa America final in July -- their second defeat in a major final in 12 months -- were held to a scoreless draw by Paraguay in Asuncion.

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino praised the fortitude of his team -- again without injured captain Lionel Messi as well as injured forward Sergio Aguero. However, he was frustrated they couldn’t get the victory over a team they thrashed 6-1 in the Copa America semi-finals.

“I am not satisfied with the point,” he said. “I am happy with the effort that the players put in. I am unhappy because we needed to win the match.”

Argentina <g data-gr-id="80">face</g> Brazil <g data-gr-id="81">next,</g> when qualifying resumes in November. It’s not clear if Messi will be back from a serious knee injury by <g data-gr-id="79">then,</g> while Brazil will be able to welcome back the suspended Neymar.

In Quito, Ecuador showed no sign of a letdown in the wake of their win over Argentina last week. 

Amid torrential rain and puddles of standing water on the pitch, Ecuador <g data-gr-id="78">were</g> clearly stronger.

Conditions improved in the second half, and Ecuador broke through in the 81st through Miller Bolanos, with Felipe Caicedo adding a penalty in injury time.