TACNA, Peru (AP): Rising star Neymar scored four goals as Brazil opened with a 4-2 victory over Paraguay on Monday in South American Under-20 World Cup qualifying.
Colombia and Ecuador played out a 1-1 draw in the day's other match in Group B.
Neymar, who turns 19 next month and plays with Brazil club Santos, scored two goals in the first half and added two more in the second. Edwin Cardona converted a 71st-minute penalty to lift Colombia to the draw after Juan Cazares scored on a 30th-minute penalty.
In Sunday's opening-day matches, Argentina defeated neighbor Uruguay 2-1 and Chile beat Peru 2-0 in Group A.
Neymar dominated the entire match Monday in this southern Peruvian city.
He converted a penalty in the 26th minute to give Brazil a 1-0 lead in an evenly contested match to that point. He then opened up the match on his own in the 34th, breaking down the left side and scoring with a 15-meter right-footed shot.
Diego Viera got one back for Paraguay in the 51st. Then Neymar went to work again.
He gave Brazil a 3-1 lead in the 61st, heading in a loose ball after poor Paraguay defending. He scored again three minutes later, chipping the ball home from 15 meters (yards).
Dario Ferreira scored in the 83rd for Paraguay.
Tuesday is a rest day. On Wednesday in Group A in Arequipa, Peru faces Argentina and Venezuela plays Uruguay.
The top four in this qualifying tournament advance to the U-20 World Cup later this year in Colombia. The qualifying tournament ends Feb. 12 with the top two also earning berth to the 2012 London Olympics.
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