ARGENTINA

clinched months ago. The other three advancing Tuesday went in this order: Uruguay (31), Argentina (28) and Colombia (27).

Uruguay beat Bolivia 4-2, Argentina won 3-1, Colombia drew 1-1 with Peru and last-place Venezuela beat Paraguay 1-0.

Peru (26) placed fifth and will keep alive its bid for a first World Cup appearance since 1982 after edging Chile for the South American spot in the inter-continental playoff next month against Oceania representative New Zealand.

On a dramatic last day of continental qualifying tournaments, six South American teams — separated by only four points over 17 matches — had shots at the World Cup entering

play.

Chile, after a 3-0 loss to Brazil, and Paraguay missed out. Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador were already out of contention.

There was a major shock further north in the Americas with the U.S. slipping from third spot to fifth in CONCACAF qualifying for teams in North and Central America and the Caribbean with a loss in Trinidad and missing out on the World Cup. Panama secured the third automatic direct entry behind Mexico and Costa Rica, and Honduras finished fourth and secured a spot in a playoff against Australia.

3 TIMES MESSI

It looked easy for Argentina. But it wasn’t, particularly after Romario Ibarra gave Ecuador a 1-0 lead in the first minute at 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) in Ecuador’s

capital.

“Even with a goal against us you could see the certainty of a team that knew how to play the game,” Sampaoli said.

Messi for sure, and running mate Angel di Maria.

Messi scored off a pass from Di Maria in the 12th, left-footing home from close range. In the 20th, Di Maria slipped a pass through to Messi, who drove the ball into the top corner from 15 yards.

Messi got his third in the 62nd, weighting a perfect 18-yard shot that went in just over the fingers of Ecuador keeper Maximo Banguera.

Argentina had scored only one goal in its last four qualifying games, and only 16 in 17 qualifiers entering the final.

“I won’t make any promises,” said Sampaoli, the

third coach in this qualifying cycle for Argentina. The Argentine was successful as Chile’s coach, and at Spanish club Sevilla.

He also knows he had a little edge — a short guy named Messi, or “La Pulga” in Spanish — the flea.

“The nationality of the best player in the world is luckily Argentine,” he said.

COLOMBIA AND PERU

Colombia advanced with a 1-1 draw in Lima, Peru. The result also put Peru into a playoff in November with New Zealand for a spot in Russia.

James Rodriguez gave Colombia a 1-0 lead in the 56th, but Peru’s Paolo Guerrero equalized in the 76th to give Peru a chance.

“We’re fifth,” so we get the playoff,” Guerrero said. “We could have done a bit more, but the big thing we can think of is the playoff.”