Brazil must win their final match next week to guarantee automatic qualification for the World Cup, after their 3-1 defeat in Bolivia raised the possibility of Japan and South Korea hosting the first ever finals without the four-times champions.
It was Brazil's sixth defeat in their 10-country group - an extraordinary number given that they had lost only one qualifier in the previous 70 years. It means that after nearly two years and 17 matches their chances of scraping into South America's fourth and final automatic qualification spot will boil down to 90 nerve-racking minutes against Venezuela.
Bolivia had the advantage of playing 3,600 metres above sea level, leaving Brazil - who flew in two hours before the game to counter altitude sickness - noticeably out of puff.
Brazil, however, remain in fourth because Uruguay, now one point behind them in fifth, drew 1-1 with Ecuador in Quito - a result that qualifies the tiny Andean nation for the World Cup finals for the first time. Four people died and 70 were injured during Ecuador's celebrations, the Red Cross said.
Argentina and Paraguay lead the group and are also through. The top four qualify automatically and the fifth meets the Oceania group winners Australia in a two-leg play-off.
Logic favours Brazil to beat second-bottom Venezuela at home next Wednesday, although their coach Luis Felipe Scolari was already raising the possibility that they might have to make the long-haul flight to Sydney.
Uruguay face the harder task of beating Argentina in Montevideo and hoping that Brazil slip up. Colombia kept their faint hopes of qualifying alive with a 3-1 victory over Chile in a foul-tempered match that saw the visitors finish with only seven men.
Brazil started well in La Paz and took the lead in the 25th minute when Edilson took an opportunistic shot from outside the area.But two minutes before half-time, the Brazil defender Juan slipped clumsily to allow Lider Paz to fire a low shot past Marcos.
Brazil appeared unable to judge the ball, which was bouncing high and flying through the thin Andean air. After the interval, Baldivieso took a free-kick from 40 yards which swung further than expected and caught Marcos off guard, looping over his head and into the net. Once Bolivia took the lead Brazil fell to pieces and could have lost by twice the 3-1 scoreline. Baldivieso sealed the third from the penalty spot. Scolari recently took the squad to a firm of astrological consultants to ask advice about whom he should pick - a move which has begun to chip away at his public support.
The Venezuela match is to be held in the north-eastern city Sao Luis - which does not even have a team in Brazil's 28-club first division - partly because the pressure from fans in the big cities is seen as undesirable.
Paraguay's happiness at their second consecutive World Cup finals was tempered by news that Fifa has banned their captain Jose Luis Chilavert from the tournament's first two games. The goalkeeper spat in the face of Brazil's Roberto Carlos when the teams met in August.
