It was the end of another campaign to oblivion. Bolivia could not measure up against Brazil, a team that broke a record for points and victories in the qualifying rounds. La Verde lost 0-4, at the Hernando Siles stadium, in the farewell of the Venezuelan coach, César Farías, who ended up booed in the Miraflores redoubt.
Brazil found a way to play at height, so feared in other times, and played just by being effective at key moments to easily beat a Green team that presented several changes in its usual eleven. Thus, without much effort, the visitors took a walk.
With goals from Lucas Paquetá (24), Richarlison (45, 90+1) and Bruno Guimarães (66), the ‘seleção’ reached 45 units in this World Cup and surpassed Marcelo Bielsa’s Argentina, who had added 43, since on the way to France-98 the format of all against all is used.
The star, Neymar, could not play the match due to accumulation of yellow cards.
Bolivia, on the other hand, gave up another World Cup and has been known to be out of the cup since its humiliating 4-1 loss to bottom side Venezuela in January.
The game started evenly, with few arrivals on both sides and Bolivia trying to keep up with the visitor.
Until Paqueta appeared, thanks to a sensational deep pass to the center of Guimarães, the Olympique de Lyon player had the ball served in his left foot and nailed it to the far post of Bolivia.
La Verde de Farías had several opportunities and good triangulation. But the attacking squad led by Marcelo Martins Moreno, the tie’s top scorer with 10 goals, failed to define the few times that the Brazilian defense was able to pierce.
Henry Vaca did what he could for the team with several destabilizing plays, but he lacked concrete results at the Hernando Siles stadium, at 3,640 meters above sea level.
At the end of the first half, when the Seleçao were least in control of the match, the goal came: an almost accidental cross from Antony that gave it to Richarlison on a plate, the Everton striker barely having to push it.
Bolivia, as usual, despaired in the face of adversity.
The hosts of the stadium returned to the field with the intention of reversing the adverse result of the first half.
And it seemed that the attempt would bear fruit: with numerous arrivals on Alisson’s goal, the goal was imminent.
But finally, despite the physical exhaustion, the little oxygen from the altitude and the pressure from the duo of Henry and Ramiro Vaca, those led by Tite were resurrected.
It was Guimarães, from Newcastle, who decorated the match, as a result of a fantastic steal by Paquetá that allowed that subdued Brazil to knock out the national team.
About 30, a merry-go-round by Gabriel Martinelli that missed Ruben Cordano’s goal by a hair could have been the goal of the season.
The goal that gave Canarinha their third 4-0 in a row so far in the tie was also the work of Richarlison, who converted at the end of the first and second half.
Thus, the selected one gave a lesson to his coach, who had been criticized in Bolivia for judging the game at height “inhumane”.
And Farías finished his administration without surprises: with a humiliating defeat at home, without taking advantage of that condition, leaving quietly, without attending to the press.
Farías and a goodbye in the midst of sadness and anger
Venezuelan coach César Farías said goodbye to the Bolivian team sad and angry at not being able to fulfill his promise to take Bolivia to the World Cup.
After finishing the game, Farías decided to gather the players of the Bolivian team in the center of the playing field, for three minutes he said goodbye to the squad and then left the field in the middle of a whistle from the public that even threw objects towards the coach.
Upon leaving the stadium, Farías said he felt sad, but hopeful that he had left something for the Bolivian team he had led for two years.
“Soccer has these cruel things but one knew the decisions we are making and the risks, but the risks must be assumed because everything in life has risks and I also know that after the storm passes, calm comes and you can analyze the few useful things and that is important, not to start from scratch,” Farías told the media that were waiting for them.
“Today I am sure that many of them (players) realized that they can compete and they feel that frustration because they could compete and they could not get the result, but I am sure that they will find a way to continue growing,” he added.
Farías said that he leaves quietly because he made good friends in Bolivia, he met several players and he does not feel the need to direct a team soon because he has other activities that give him the sustenance to be able to live.
NOTES
TEARS
At the end of the game players, like Henry Vaca, began to cry for the defeat and for the end of a cycle without glory. In the center of the field, César Farías and his collaborators said goodbye to the team.
HOBBY
With a poster bearing the Real Madrid club crest, a fan located in the preferential sector asked Brazilian defender Eder Militão for his shirt: ´I saw you play at Anoeta. I saw you play at the Bernabéu. Today I see you play in La Paz. Please give us your shirt, he wrote.
TAFFAREL
Goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel (55 years old) returned to the Siles stadium, this time as goalkeeper coach for the Brazilian team. In 1993 he received the two goals of the victory for Bolivia (2-0) and in 1997 he was champion of the Copa América.
REFEREE
Referee Eber Aquino, from Paraguay, had an uncomplicated match. Despite some complaints from the players about some specific plays, the rest of the match had no controversial or decisive errors to define the game.
THE FIGURE
Despite the great figures that Brazil showed, in Bolivia Henry Vaca stood out for his performance and speed; In addition, the player José Herrera had his participation, who showed himself with a good personality, however, he was replaced by Yesit Martínez in the second half.
ERWIN QUISPE PERCA
