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Messi hat-trick fires Argentina into World Cup

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Messi hat-trick fires Argentina into World Cup
Messi celebrates after scoring against Ecuador during their 2018 World Cup qualifier football match in Quito, on October 10, 2017.

Montevideo - Argentina advanced after a Lionel Messi hat-trick secured a 3-1 win in Ecuador.

By AFP

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Published: Wed 11 Oct 2017, 7:23 AM

Last updated: Fri 13 Oct 2017, 5:54 PM

Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia booked their place at next year's World Cup finals on Tuesday in a thrilling final round of qualifiers that saw South American champions Chile eliminated.
Argentina advanced after a Lionel Messi hat-trick secured a 3-1 win in Ecuador.
Uruguay meanwhile sealed their place in Russia with a 4-2 home win over already-eliminated Bolivia.

Colombia qualified after a battling 1-1 draw with Peru in Lima.

Peru's draw was good enough to give them a playoff berth which will see them take on New Zealand over two legs for a place in the finals.

But the combination of results spelt the end of the road for Chile, who were beaten 3-0 by Brazil and knocked out.

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."
CHILE OUT
Two-time defending South American champion Chile needed to win to get its third straight World Cup berth, but Brazil wrecked that with a 3-0 victory.
Peru's 1-1 draw also removed any chance of Chile slipping in.
Gabriel Jesus scored twice and Paulinho got the other. It was the 12th consecutive unbeaten qualifying game since Tite has been in charge of the Brazilian team. He took over more than a year ago from Dunga.
URUGUAY SET
Uruguay was a cinch to advance. It did with style, beating Bolivia 4-2. Luis Suarez scored twice with the other goals coming from Martin Caceres and Edinson Cavani.



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