Uruguay vs. Brazil: Score and Reaction for World Cup 2018 Qualifying

In a matchup of the top two teams in the CONMEBOL table, Brazil overcame an early deficit to earn a 4-1 win over Uruguay on Thursday.

The victory put the squad one step closer to qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Paulinho was the star of the day with a hat trick for the Selecao, an impressive feat considering he had just six career international goals coming into the day.

Will Tidey of Bleacher Report UK assessed the player's situation:

Neymar added one goal and one assist in the win. Edinson Cavani was responsible for the only score for Uruguay, which came off a penalty kick in the early going.

Brazil has now won eight straight matches with Tite at the helm, also expanding its lead in the CONMEBOL table. The squad has 30 points in 13 matches and looks almost unstoppable.

The 23 points by Uruguay are enough to remain in second place, although an earlier win by Colombia tightens the lead. Ecuador and Chile are also in the thick of what has become a crowded race at the top.

Uruguay was able to get onto the scoresheet first Thursday thanks to a few mistakes from the Brazil defense.

Selecao Brasileira described the situation that led to a penalty shot:

Marcelo attempted to chest the ball to his goalkeeper, but Cavani was there to cause problems, creating an easy attempt. The elite scorer took care of business from there to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

The second score in the first half featured much more impressive offensive play as Paulinho saw a small opening and took advantage with an excellent shot to equalize, via beINSports:

Brazil appeared in control as the match continued, but the score remained 1-1 into intermission.

The start of the second half featured another goal by Paulinho, although this time it was more about being in the right place at the right time. In reality, Roberto Firmino did most of the work that led to the go-ahead goal in the 52nd minute:

Uruguay was able to create chances but couldn't muster much without consistent control of the ball.

Neymar then helped put the game out of reach with a goal in the 74th minute on a long pass from Miranda, giving Brazil a 3-1 lead.

The finish was a thing of beauty from the world-class player:

Paulinho secured his hat trick in stoppage time on a Dani Alves pass in the 92nd minute. The midfielder chested the ball into the net, effectively ending the match while improving Brazil's goal differential to plus-22.

Both squads will be back in action for qualifying on March 28 with each having an opportunity to add three points. Brazil will host Paraguay while Uruguay will go on the road to take on Peru.

With just five more matches left for each side in qualifying, a pair of wins could go a long way toward securing a spot in Russia.   

Post-Match Reaction

Paulinho was the key performer in this one, and his coach didn't need to add much after the match. 

"What do I have to say about Paulinho?" Tite said, per Selecao Brasileira. "His performance and the goals he scored speak for themselves."

While the manager didn't have much of an effect on that performance, he did make a tweak that helped the defense.

"After we conceded, I told Neymar that he must track back furthermore because Marcelo was being outnumbered," he added. "And he executed well."

Everything Tite has done since becoming the team's manager has seemed to work, leading to eight wins in as many matches.