Chile holds top spot despite more curfew suspensions

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Jun 12, 2012

[WORLD CUP 2014 QUALIFYING] Chile was the big winner in South America's June World Cup 2014 qualifying sweepstakes with a pair of 2-0 wins on the road. The second at Venezuela left La Roja in first place in the nine-team South American zone. The win came despite a second disciplinary scandal in seven months that resulted in the suspension of two players.

Chile's Argentine coach, Claudio Borghi, dropped midfielder Gary Medel and striker Eduardo Vargas after they were spotted by a television crew leaving a nightclub at 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

Last November, Chile suspended five players for breaking a curfew before a match in Uruguay.

Four of the five players are still banned. The fifth player, midfielder Arturo Vargas, scored in the 2-0 road win over Bolivia.

Chile got late goals from Matias Fernandez and Charles Aranguiz to win in Venezuela.

Uruguay, a 4-2 winner over winless Peru, is in second place one point behind.

Argentina is third two points behind Chile. Both Uruguay and Argentina have a game in hand on Chile.