Bolivia pull off comeback against Suriname to meet Iraq for spot in World Cup

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bolivia/nXdi7mbc/"]Bolivia[/a] were pre-match favourites and wouldn’t let [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/suriname/jefTDM4k/"]Suriname[/a] near the ball early on but came away from the opening quarter-hour with nothing to show for their possessional dominance. Nevertheless, [i]La Verde[/i]’s superiority in possession nearly translated itself into the game’s opening goal after 22 minutes.[/p][p]Given too much time and space to fire a rocket from outside the area, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gatito-fernandez/trdcbm1s/"]Roberto Fernandez[/a]’s effort stung the palms of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vaessen-etienne/rNBeXDEh/"]Etienne Vaessen[/a]’s but the Surinamese shot-stopper somehow managed to redirect the strike around the post. [/p][p]Vaessen’s smart stop almost proved crucial not long after, but despite not having a defender in sight, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piroe-joel/dUHjDCt9/"]Joel Piroe[/a] inexplicably sent his one-on-one high and wide. If supporters in attendance thought the Leeds United striker would have broken the deadlock, they surely were sure that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abena-myenty/pCRSfO3q/"]Myenty Abena[/a]’s close-range shot had.[/p][p]However, to the astonishment of the Suriname defender, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vizcarra-guillermo/Yc1T8o5h/"]Guillermo Viscarra[/a] pulled off a stunning point-blank save to keep the game goalless on its way through to HT. [/p][embed guid="878fec80-2833-4abc-a878-f4073733071d" url="https://x.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/2037319449213026753?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Nevertheless, Viscarra was helpless to prevent Suriname from taking the lead after only three minutes of the second half. [b]A game of penalty area pinball ultimately benefited [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-gelderen-liam/63LRqLJt/"]Liam van Gelderen[/a], with the defender taking full advantage by instinctively poking the ball past Bolivia’s number one[/b] to ignite wild celebrations with his ecstatic teammates. [/p][p]Needing to produce something from their locker to at the very least force ET, Bolivia called Vaessen into action again shortly after the hour mark, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/miguelito/nkQilVC3/"]Miguel Terceros[/a] firing a straight-forward effort straight into the Groningen goalkeeper’s gloves.[/p][p]However, Terceros’ frustration would turn to jubilation in the 72nd minute [b]as sub [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paniagua-moises/C4c4Kj9O/"]Moises Paniagua[/a] toe-poked the ball into the bottom corner[/b]. Remarkably, Bolivia turned the match on its head eight minutes later, as Abena’s clumsy foul on another substitute, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/godoy-juan/dfMz5LfM/"]Juan Godoy[/a], [b]allowed Terceros to subsequently convert the resulting penalty for the win[/b].[/p][p]The momentous victory means Bolivia are now only one step away from making their first appearance at a World Cup finals in over three decades after incidentally gracing the 1994 renewal of the competition in America.[/p][p]On the other boot, Suriname will have to wait at least another four years to once again go in search of making their maiden arrival at the pinnacle of international football.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: Guillermo Viscarra (Bolivia)[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bolivia-nXdi7mbc/suriname-jefTDM4k/summary/stats/?mid=UPBJl1go"][b]Check out all the match stats with Flashscore.[/b][/a][/p]