Brazil was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Venezuela in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier on Thursday, with a missed penalty from Vinicius Junior contributing to the frustration for the five-time World Cup winners.
The match saw both teams exchange strikes, with Raphinha putting Brazil ahead in the first half and Telasco Segovia pulling Venezuela level shortly after the break. Despite dominating possession and creating multiple chances, Brazil was unable to find a winner, and the points were shared at the Monumental Stadium in Caracas.
Brazil started the match on the front foot, with Vinicius Junior, fresh off a hat-trick for Real Madrid in La Liga just days earlier, heavily involved in Brazil’s attacking play. Early on, he combined well with Raphinha, only for the Barcelona winger to misfire with a shot that went well off target. Gerson also had an opportunity with a volley that flew over the bar, while Vinicius Junior himself hit the post after some brilliant work from Savinho.
After several near-misses, Brazil finally broke the deadlock just before halftime. Raphinha curled in a superb free-kick that beat Venezuela‘s goalkeeper Rafael Romo and found the inside of the far post, giving Brazil a 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute.
However, Venezuela responded just a minute into the second half. Telasco Segovia, on as a substitute, fired home from the edge of the box after a clever lay-off from Jefferson Savarino, drawing the hosts level at 1-1.
With Brazil pushing for the lead, Vinicius Junior had the chance to restore Brazil’s advantage in the 62nd minute when he was fouled inside the box by Rafael Romo. However, the Venezuela goalkeeper made up for his earlier mistake by diving low to his left to save Vinicius’ penalty, keeping the score tied.
As the match entered its final stages, Venezuela was reduced to 10 men when Alexander Gonzalez was sent off in the 89th minute, but the home side held firm and saw out the draw despite late Brazilian pressure.
The result leaves Brazil in third place on 17 points, still within range of the top six in South America, which guarantees automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Venezuela, on the other hand, is in seventh place with 12 points and still has a shot at an Inter-confederation playoff spot.
Later on Thursday, Argentina, top of the CONMEBOL standings, played against Paraguay, while Ecuador hosted Bolivia.
