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Delgado boosts Ecuador cup chances
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) -- Ecuador and Paraguay put themselves on the brink of qualifying for next year's World Cup after winning key matches on Saturday. Former Southampton striker Agustin Delgado scored twice as Ecuador, who played in the finals for the first time in 2002, beat Bolivia 2-1 in La Paz. Bayern Munich striker Roque Santa Cruz gave Paraguay a 1-0 win over Argentina in Asuncion, the first time they have beaten their neighbours in a World Cup qualifier. Venezuela hammered a demoralised Peru 4-1 in steamy Maracaibo to keep alive a faint hope of qualifying for the first time. Argentina, who have already qualified, stayed top of the 10-nation South American group on 31 points, four ahead of world champions Brazil. Brazil host Chile on Sunday and need to win to make sure of their place with two games to spare. The top four teams qualify for the World Cup in Germany and the fifth play off against the Oceania winners for another place. In La Paz, high above sea level, Ecuador went ahead in the ninth minute when Delgado's long-range shot took a deflection off a defender and flew past Carlos Arias. Doyle Vaca levelled in the 41st minute but Delgado put Ecuador back in front when he met Edison Mendez's cross with a majestic header five minutes after the break to take his tally in the qualifiers to five. Paraguay, backed by a rowdy crowd of 38,000 at the Defenders of the Chaco stadium, made an aggressive start against Argentina. Santa Cruz burst into the centre of the defence and Gabriel Heinze attempted to clear but the ball hit the Paraguayan, who then slipped it past Roberto Abbondanzieri. Argentina fought back after half-time but Heinze was sent off in the 56th minute for a second bookable offence and the hosts regained the initiative. "There's no way that Argentina relaxed," said coach Jose Pekerman, whose team were missing striker Hernan Crespo and midfielder Javier Mascherano through injury. "Paraguay deserved the goal," he said. "They knew how to take their chances and they knew how to defend." South Africa-based striker Jose Torrealba scored twice as Venezuela over-ran Peru, whose new coach Freddy Ternero has left experienced midfielders Roberto Palacios and Nolberto Solano out of the team. Giancarlo Maldonado gave Venezuela a half-time lead and although PSV Eindhoven striker Jefferson Farfan equalised in the 62nd minute, Juan Arango put the home team back in front five minutes later. Torrealba scored twice more in the 72nd and 79th minutes. 
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