Neymar Hat-Trick Fires Brazil Past Peru, Argentina Labor

Neymar scored a hat trick to become the second-highest scorer in Brazil's history, with the Copa America champions winning 4-2 to 10-man Peru in the World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.

Neymar scored 64 international goals, two more than Ronaldo, but still well below Pele 's record of 77, reports AFP.

Elsewhere, Joaquin Correa scored the winner 11 minutes after Argentina won 2-1 over Bolivia to retain its 100% record after two matches.

Peru twice took the lead by Andre Carrillo and a heavily deflected shot by Renato Tapia, but two controversial Neymar penalties, a third injury and a close range shot by Richarlison kept Selecao 's winning start to qualify for Qatar in 2022.

Carrillo opened the score in six minutes with a 20 yards dive volley on Marquinhos' slow clearance.

Peru Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese then denied Firmino a point blank range after he seemed likely to tap Richarlison's cushioned header home.

Brazil dominated the ball, but Peru's paced forwards looked dangerous to the counter-attack, and visiting goaltender Weverton had to be alert to keep Christofer Gonzales out of his shot.

But Neymar sent Gallese the wrong way from the spot after Yoshimar Yotun was disciplined for tugging his shirt in the box.

Out of nowhere, Tapia 's speculative long-range attack took a wicked turn off Rodrigo Caio and Weverton in 59 minutes.

The lead lasted just a few minutes before Richarlison touched the Firmino header from a corner across the line to restore parity.

The winner came seven minutes from the time when Carlos Zambrano was harshly accused of fouling Neymar.

Worse still had to come to Zambrano, as he was sent out a few minutes later for a stray elbow that caught Richarlison and Neymar drilled home the final nail in the Peruvian coffin, after Gallese had spilled a shot from5-007 Ribeiro.

- Farcical equaliser -

Lionel Scaloni's Argentina claimed a second narrow victory in a row following Thursday's 1-0 victory over Ecuador.

Marcelo Moreno Martins gave the Bolivian hosts the lead they deserved, but Argentina scored a fortuitous equaliser through Lautaro Martinez.

When Argentina goalkeeper Franco Armani was caught off his line, Bolivia should have been ahead for six minutes, but Moreno Martins sent his header from an angle to the roof of the net.

Moreno Martins made amends on 24 minutes when he rose to power home a header from eight yards between Argentina's center-backs after Alejandro Chumacero was allowed to sprint from halfway into the visitors' box before crossing from the left.

As Jose Carrasco attempted to clear the ball out of his six-yard box after cutting out Martinez's cross, Argentina's equaliser came in comical fashion, but he shanked the ball off the forward's shin and past goalkeeper Carlos Lampe.

Lionel Messi, who had an otherwise quiet match, then combined with Martinez to tee up Correa to thrash the winner home.

- Ecuador work of art -

Ecuador totally dominated Uruguay in a 4-2 victory in Quito.

They took the lead on 15 minutes as Moises Caicedo flicked home a header from an Angel Mena cross.

Both sides had a goal ruled out following a VAR review before Michael Estrada doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time, rifling home from inside the box after a mistake by veteran Uruguay center-back Diego Godin.

Uruguay were denied again by VAR before Ecuador went straight up the other end where Estrada cracked home Valencia's backheel from 20 yards.

As Alan Franco 's reverse pass bemused Uruguay 's defence, Ecuador's final goal was a work of art, and Gonzalo Plata rolled his foot over the ball to commit both sliding defender Ronald Araujo and goalkeeper Martin Campana before stroking the ball into the far corner.

With a pair of late penalties which were no more than a consolation, Luis Suarez scored his record-extending 61st and 62nd goals for Uruguay.

Radamel Falcao scored an injury time equaliser as Colombia salvaged a point in a 2-2 draw in Chile.

Jefferson Lerma gave Colombia an early lead but Chile turned the match in Quito around by half-time with strikes from Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez.

Gaston Gimenez scored a late winner before goalkeeper Anthony Silva saved a penalty from Yangel Herrera as Paraguay won 1-0 in Venezuela.