Venezuela boss sees Brazil 2014 on horizon

Venezuela beat Bolivia 1-0 to join Uruguay and Argentina on seven points in the top places of the South American group standings they could previously only dream of reaching.

"If Venezuela can maintain this [points] average, we will surely reach the World Cup," Farias, who has set his heart on steering his team to the Brazil finals, told reporters.

Central defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo scored the only goal with a header from a corner in the 25th minute and Venezuela, who are showing their fourth place at this year's Copa America in Argentina was no fluke, then hung on under constant if rather lightweight pressure from Bolivia in a second half downpour.

"We won with some suffering but these are three very important points," captain Juan Arango, who plays for SV Hamburg, said.

It was Venezuela's second successive 1-0 win at home after they upset Argentina last month, their first victory over one of the giants of the South American game.

Venezuela, where baseball is the most popular game, started their campaign with a 2-0 defeat by Ecuador in Quito and last week they picked up their fourth point with a 1-1 draw against neighbours Colombia in Barranquilla and it is their best start to the qualifiers.

Venezuela are the only team in the South American Football Confederation never to have played at the World Cup finals, but their progress in the last four to five years has brought them several milestones including a first Copa America quarter-final when they staged the tournament in 2007 and a first semi-final this year.