DPA/Buenos Aires

South American champions Chile dealt Brazil a blow Thursday, while World Cup runners-up Argentina lost at home to Ecuador in the first round of the South American qualifiers for Russia 2018.
In Santiago, the home team managed to put two goals past Brazil for a 2-0 win.
Eduardo Vargas was on target at the near post in the 72nd minute, off a perfectly executed free kick from Matias Fernandez. Just one minute before the end of the match, Alexis Sanchez scored Chile’s second goal after some good interplay with Arturo Vidal.
Earlier, both Sanchez and Mauricio Isla had hit the post for Chile with long-distance efforts.
Chile confirmed their fine form after winning the first major title in their history at the Copa America in July, while Brazil, playing without suspended star Neymar, lost an opening game in the qualifiers for the first time ever.
“Chile were more efficient when it came to scoring,” said Brazil coach Carlos Dunga, who insisted that the game was even until the first goal.
“Nowadays football is very balanced and it is the details that are decisive. A small detail completely changes a game. That is where you win or lose,” he said.
Without their injured captain Lionel Messi, Argentina - who lost to Chile in the recent Copa America final - lost 2-0 to Ecuador in Buenos Aires.
Frickson Erazo found the net in the 81st minute with Ecuador’s second consecutive header in the box amid very poor defending. Only a minute later, Felipe Caicedo scored off a low cross from winger Antonio Valencia in counter-attack.
Sergio Aguero left the pitch after 20 minutes with what was reportedly a torn muscle.
“There is not much to say. Ecuador were better than us in every aspect,” Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said in no uncertain terms.
“I am angry about what happened,” he admitted. “But we need to keep trying because the road ahead is too long. We will get a chance to make up for this on Tuesday.”
His men were also self-critical.
“We did nothing well today,” Argentina midfielder Lucas Biglia told Argentina’s public TV channel at the end of the match.  
Ecuador were thrilled about their very valuable win. “We did a great job, and we tried to win from the very beginning,” Valencia said. “In the second half we were calmer, which is what we had been missing in the first half.”

Uruguay beat Bolivia
Earlier, Uruguay beat Bolivia 2-0, Colombia defeated Peru 2-0 and Paraguay edged past Venezuela 1-0.  
Playing without suspended star strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, Uruguay managed to get an unprecedented win in La Paz, which stands at an altitude of 3,650 metres.
Martin Caceres made the most of a rebound the Bolivia keeper conceded off a header from Abel Hernandez to make things 1-0 after just 10 minutes. In the second half, captain Diego Godin headed the ball to the back of the net off a Carlos Sanchez cross to make the score 2-0 in the 69th minute.
Bolivia, who hit the woodwork once in the first half, had Jair Torrico sent off with 20 minutes left of the game.
Playing at home in the heat of Barranquilla, striker Teofilo Gutierrez was the star of the Colombia-Peru game, with James Rodriguez out injured and Radamel Falcao on the bench.
With a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, Gutierrez made the most of some sloppy defending off a corner kick to head the ball home 36 minutes into the match, after a header from Cristian Zapata.
In injury time, when Colombia were clearly struggling, Edwin Cardona made things 2-0 after being set up by Juan Cuadrado in counter-attack.
In Puerto Ordaz, Paraguay made the most of an incredible blooper by the Venezuelan defence to win a lacklustre game.
With just five minutes left, Oswaldo Vizcarrondo attempted an unnecessary chest pass to his keeper and left the ball at the feet of young Paraguay striker Derlis Gonzalez, who promptly scored the lone goal of the match.
The South American qualifiers, with 10 participants, including multiple World Cup winners Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay playing each other at home and away, will decide the four direct berths to Russia 2018, plus a play-off against a team from Oceania for the fifth-placed country.
The South American qualifiers are set to continue on Tuesday, still without most of their usual stars, with the following matches:
Brazil-Venezuela, Paraguay-Argentina, Uruguay-Colombia, Peru-Chile and Ecuador-Bolivia.