Venezuela win, push Paraguay nearer World Cup failure

Striker Salomon Rondon scored twice to give Venezuela a 2-0 away win over Paraguay in the Defensores del Chaco cauldron in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

Venezuela, looking to reach their first World Cup finals, have left 2010 quarter-finalists Paraguay with very little chance of making it to their fourth tournament in a row in Brazil in 2014.

The Venezuelans have 11 points from eight matches while Paraguay are bottom of the nine-nation standings with four.

Rondon latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from midfielder Cesar Gonzalez to score from the right on the stroke of halftime and set Venezuela on their way to their first win in a qualifier in Asuncion.

The striker scored again in the 68th when Paraguay keeper Justo Villar punched a free kick in his six-yard box and the ball came back off defender Paulo da Silva to Rondon who steered it into the net.

Venezuela's young goalkeeper Daniel Hernandez played his part in the victory with good saves from Oscar Cardozo, who also hit the post early in the match, Jonathan Fabbro and Nelson Haedo Valdez.