Brazil had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Venezuela after a quick-fire second-half strike by substitute Telasco Segovia canceled out Raphinha’s opener for the dominant visitors in the South American World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.
Vinicius Jr missed a chance to win the game with a penalty against a Venezuelan side who played the last minutes of the game down to 10-man after substitute Alexander Gonzalez was sent off for hitting both Gabriel Martinelli and Vinicius in the face in successive plays in the 89th minute.
Five-time World Cup champions Brazil are third in the standings on 17 points, five from leaders Argentina, while Venezuela are seventh on 12 points. The top six sides are guaranteed a berth at the 2026 finals.
The high-paced match saw numerous chances from both sides who registered 11 goal attempts each, with Brazil enjoying over 60% of possession but failing to turn their dominance into goals and getting often exposed to counter attacks.
Off the back of successive wins against Peru and Chile, Brazil were dangerous from the start with Vinicius a constant menace, hitting the post in the 20th minute.