PRETORIA, South Africa — South African fans blew their vuvuzelas long and loud, hoping to bring their team luck in the World Cup.
Uruguay’s Diego Forlan had other ideas and brought the party to a crashing halt, scoring two goals in a 3-0 victory Wednesday night that pushed the hosts closer to exiting the first World Cup staged in Africa. That would be a first for a host country in the World Cup.
Forlan scored on a deflected 25-yard shot in the 24th minute, then converted a penalty kick in the 80th minute for a commanding lead. Alvaro Pereira added a goal in stoppage time.
Chile 1, Honduras 0
NELSPRUIT, South Africa — Jean Beausejour finished Mauricio Isla’s cross in the 34th minute as Chile ended its World Cup drought.
“It’s an historic triumph,” striker Mark Gonzalez said.
Chile’s last World Cup victory was June 16, 1962, when the host nation came in third by beating Yugoslavia. This is Chile’s first World Cup since 1998, when it advanced into the second round after three draws.
“The Chilean people have been waiting for this for quite some time,” defender Mauricio Isla said. “We have given them huge happiness.”
