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Paraguay qualified for their fourth successive World Cup finals with a 1-0 win over 10-man Argentina.

Striker Nelson Haedo scored just before the half hour to secure Paraguay's place in South Africa next year, sending Diego Maradona's team crashing to a third successive qualifying defeat and their fourth loss in six qualifiers.

Paraguay climbed to second in the South American group on 30 points.

Argentina, in grave danger of failing to qualify, dropped out of the top four automatic berths, their place taken by Ecuador. They occupy fifth place which would send them into a two-leg playoff against the CONCACAF's fourth-placed team.

Haedo exchanged a one-two with midfielder Edgar Barreto in a flowing attack that scythed through the Argentina defence before fellow striker Salvador Cabanas set him up to score with a low shot past diving keeper Sergio Romero and inside the far post.

Argentina lost midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, one of their better players in a poor team performance, eight minutes into the second half when he was sent off for a high tackle, his second bookable offence.

Striker Nilmar scored a hat-trick for a second-string Brazil team as the World Cup finalists beat Chile 4-2 at home in their qualifier.

Defeat for Chile, who pulled level at 2-2 through goals from striker Humberto Suazo, left Marcelo Bielsa's team waiting o secure a place in the 2010 finals in South Africa.

Brazil had Felipe Melo sent off in the 52nd minute for a bad foul on striker Alexis Sanchez, but Sanchez himself was shown the red card in the 77th for dissent, his second bookable offence.

Brazil, who have won 11 matches in a row and are unbeaten in 17, qualified with three games to spare when they beat Argentina 3-1 away on Saturday.

They were joined by Paraguay, who made it to their fourth successive finals when they beat Diego Maradona's team 1-0.

Chile, who could have qualified for their first finals since 1998, remain third in the South American group, four points ahead of fourth-placed Ecuador with two games remaining.

The top four go through to South Africa while the fifth-placed team, at present Argentina, get a second chance in a two-leg playoff against the CONCACAF's fourth-placed team.

Nilmar, playing in the absence of the suspended Luis Fabiano and injured Robinho, opened the scoring after half an hour from Daniel Alves's cross.

Julio Baptista, also set up by Alves, added the second in the 40th and Suazo pulled one back with a penalty just before halftime.

"I knew this game was my chance to play, score goals and show my work Today we showed that the national team squad is very strong," Nilmar told reporters.

He completed his hat-trick with two goals in less than three minutes midway through the second half, both laid on by right back Maicon, after Suazo's second brought Chile level in the 52nd.

Ecuador crushed a soft-bellied Bolivia 3-1 away in their qualifier to climb back into South America's World Cup berths.

The result put Ecuador in fourth, the last of the automatic places for the 2010 finals in South Africa, after they overtook Argentina by one point. The fifth-placed team at the end of the qualifiers next month will play off against a CONCACAF team.

Bolivia, who had already lost all chance of reaching the finals, should have fallen behind in the third minute but Jefferson Montero hit the bar with an empty net at his mercy.

Two minutes later, Edison Mendez made amends for his fellow midfielder's glaring miss when he slipped through the poor Bolivian marking to shoot home past keeper Hugo Suarez.

Suarez made good saves from left back Walter Ayovi and Mendez but Antonio Valencia rifled the ball past the keeper less than a minute after the interval for the second goal.

Valencia skipped past his marker on the right in the 57th and hit a low cross which Cristian Benitez turned into the net for the third.

Bolivia pulled one back in the 86th minute when substitute Gerardo Yecerotte headed a cross into the bottom corner at the far post.

With Brazil qualified and Chile and Paraguay with a foot in the finals, Colombia, Uruguay and Venezuela were also vying for the fourth and fifth places in later matches.

Uruguay revived their chances of qualifying for the World Cup when they beat Colombia 3-1 in an electrifying game at the Centenario stadium.

With two games to come in October, Uruguay climbed back to sixth in the South American group, within reach of the four automatic qualifying berths and one place shy of fifth, which is valid for a last-chance playoff against a CONCACAF team.

The loss left Colombia sagging at seventh, a point behind Uruguay.

The Colombians started in a flurry with a clear chance to striker Adrian Ramos in the first minute, but five minutes later Uruguay took the lead through striker Luiz Suarez, who scored on a defensive error, lifting the ball with the inside of his foot to the right hand corner over keeper Agustin Julio.

Uruguay were reduced to 10 men when defender Carlos Valdez was dismissed for a harsh tackle on John Viafara in the 30th minute.

Colombia took advantage and picked up the pace controlling the ball in midfield but could not capitalise on several chances before the end of the first half.

Only a minute into the second, Colombian striker Teofilo Gutierrez was sent off, but his team mates rallied to score a 63rd-minute equaliser through a Jackson Martinez header.

Andres Scotti restored Uruguay's advantage in the 76th minute, however, and an 87th minute goal by substitute Sebastian Eguren sealed the win.

Venezuela beat Peru 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier to climb back into the fight for a fifth-spot play-off ticket to their first finals.

The win put Venezuela in seventh place in the 10-nation South American group on 21 points, behind Uruguay on goal difference and one point short of Argentina in fifth.

Venezuela played on a high note after their 2-2 draw against Chile in Santiago on Saturday, sounding an early warning with a powerful shot from Luis Manuel Seijas that Peruvian goalkeeper Leao Butron barely reached to turn away for a corner.

The first goal came from Venezuelan striker Nicolas Fedor who scored in the 32nd minute from Franklin Lucena's pass.

Already-eliminated Peru equalised in the 41st minute when Venezuelan defender Juan Fuenmayor attempted to clear a free kick but instead put the ball in his own goal.

Fedor restored Venezuela's advantage with his second goal in the 52nd minute and Ronald Vargas finished off the scoring in the 70th.

Reuters