Ecuador's Ivan Hurtado (r) fights for the ball with Jose Cardozo of Paraguay. (AP)

Ecuador had to come from behind, played more than two thirds of the match with ten men, finished with nine and also lost their captain and most influential player Alex Aguinaga through injury before halftime.

Ecuador, who have never been to the World Cup finals, moved above Brazil -- at least until Wednesday's Brazil-Peru match in Sao Paulo -- in the group. Their total of 22 points takes them third, while Paraguay remained second with 23.

The top four teams qualify automatically and the fifth earns a play off against the winners of the Oceania region's qualifying tournament.

Ecuador, who enjoy the advantage of playing at 2,800 metres above sea level, made a disastrous start at the Atahualpa stadium in Quito, where they have now taken 19 points out of a possible 21.

They had defender Augusto Porozo sent off in the 19th minute for hauling down Nelson Cuevas when he was through on goal, then fell behind to Jose Cardozo's fourth goal of the competition seven minutes later.

They suffered a further setback when Aguinaga limped off just before halftime, but two goals from Agustin Delgado, who joined Brazil's Romario as top scorer in the competition with seven goals, turned the game around.

Delgado thumped home the equaliser on the stroke of halftime, then headed the winner seven minutes into the second half to end Paraguay's seven-match unbeaten run in the tournament.

There was still time for substitute Wellington Sanchez to be sent off for timewasting in injury time, picking up a yellow and then red card as he dallied over a corner.

The game was marred when a man ran onto the field to remonstrate with the referee in the first half. He reached the official unimpeded by police, who then rushed on in their dozens along with journalists and other spectators.

Uruguay revives hopes with win

SANTIAGO -- Uruguay revived their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup when they beat Chile 1-0 thanks to an own goal by debutant Italo Diaz on Tuesday.

Diaz, who plays for Cobreloa, had the misfortune to head the ball into his own net only 12 minutes into his first full international.

The defeat virtually extinguished any remaining hopes the Chileans may have had about qualifying for Japan and South Korea in 2002.

Twice former champions Uruguay are still sixth in the South American qualifying group with 18 points, but now only one point behind fifth-placed Colombia.

Chile stayed eighth with only 10 points from 12 games.

The top four teams qualify automatically while the fifth country will play off against the winners of the Oceania region.

Diaz's unlucky moment came when Alvaro Recoba took a free kick on the right, Federico Magallenes headed towards goal and the ball bounced off his shaven head into the net.

Chile dominated the rest of the game but, despite the determination of veteran striker Ivan Zamorano and some excellent play from midfielder Rodrigo Tello, they could not find a way past Fabian Carini in goal.

Carini was Uruguay's hero, making two almost identical saves from Zamorano as Chile pressed for an equaliser early in the second half.

On both occasions he managed to get his fingertips to powerful downward headers from the veteran striker to tip the ball around his post.

Despite the win Uruguay were uninspiring and Inter Milan's Recoba was substituted in the second half after another below-par performance for his country.

Colombia scrambles to salvage tie

SAN CRISTOBAL, Venezuela -- Colombia hit back with two goals in the last seven minutes to scrape a 2-2 draw with underdogs Venezuela in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

Venezuela appeared to be heading for only their second win in 28 World Cup qualifying matches when Juan Arango put them 2-0 ahead with a superb individual goal in the 82nd minute.

But some typically slapstick defending, which has seen Venezuela concede 35 goals in 12 games, allowed Colombia to snatch a point.

The Venezuelan rearguard left Gerardo Bedoya unmarked at a free kick to head Colombia's first goal in the 83rd minute.

Then, five minutes later, Venezuela gave the ball away in midfield and it was slipped through the defence for Victor Bonilla to calmly beat goalkeeper Rafael Dudamel.

Colombia stayed fifth in the South American group with 19 points from 12 games while Venezuela remained bottom with four points.

The top four teams qualify for next year's World Cup and the fifth plays off against the winners of the Oceania region for another place.

Colombia, missing seven first team regulars, were outplayed for much of the game to the delight of a 35,000 crowd in San Cristobal, which is 60 kilometres from the Colombian border.

In the 22nd minute Alexander Rondon, left unmarked in the middle of the penalty area, met a Luis Vera cross from the right with a firm downward header to put Venezuela in front.

Eight minutes from time Arango appeared to have sealed the points when he weaved his way past several defenders before working the ball onto his left foot and placing it in the corner of the net.

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