Brazil have dropped points for the first time in this years Sudamericano, making way for Uruguay to top the final group.
Brazil lost 2-1 against Argentina earlier today whilst Uruguay beat Chile 1-0.
Jose Manuel Iturbe hit the winner after 67 minutes. The 17-year-old dazzled the crowd as he skipped his way past three defenders before slotting home.
Funes Mori got the Argentines off to a positive start, converting a penalty after only 7 minutes. The goalscorer was struck in the face during the incident which led to the penalty, which also saw Brazil defender Juan sent off.
Brazil’s never-ending options of attacking prodigies looked like they would come good in the second-half. Willian levelled the scores after 55 minutes, but couldn’t spark a revival from the samba stars.
Juan Manuel Iturbe hits the winner, causing jubilant celebrations
Neymar, so often thought of as the star player of the tournament, earned himself a one match suspension due to accumulating too many yellow cards. It will be a huge blow to Brazil’s tournament hopes with only two rounds of games remaining.
Sao Paulo defender, Casemiro, struck the crossbar with five minutes remaining, but the Argentinian defence stayed resolute and deserved the victory.
Elsewhere in the group, Uruguay climbed to the top after beating Chile 1-0 thanks to a single goal from Adrian Nicolas Luna.
Colombia drew with Ecuador in what proved to be an unexciting game for the neutral.
Although Uruguay sit top of the group, they have a lot of work to do to maintain that position.
In the final two rounds of games they face Argentina and then Brazil. To escape unharmed seems unthinkable for the Uruguayians, but they will take confidence, knowing that Argentina have already lost against Ecuador.
Argentina and Brazil are level on points at the moment. One would assume that both sides win their remaining fixtures, therefore the winner’s trophy would go down to goal difference, something that Brazil excel in.
Argentina probably have the easier run-in. Both will play Uruguay but Argentina face a winless Colombia side whilst Brazil take on Argentina-conquerors, Ecuador. Having said this, Brazil already have an advantage on goal difference of +4.
It will certainly be a close call, check back on the Youth Radar for the next round of games to see who will move one step closer to lifting that trophy.
Current Final Group Table, courtesy of Wikipedia.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Uruguay |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 7 |
 Brazil |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 6 |
 Argentina |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 |
 Ecuador |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 5 |
 Colombia[1] |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 1 |
 Chile |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 0 |
I can still see Brazil winning the title. Argentina will gain a maximum six points from their remaining games, but Brazil will lift the trophy on goal difference.
Posted by tombennett6 | February 9, 2011, 11:49 am