Luis Suarez celebrates scoring Uruguay's second goal. (Reuters)Uruguay thrashed Colombia 3-0 in a South American World Cup qualifier marked by goals from its 33-year-old strikers Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez on Friday.
Darwin Nuñez added the third in Barranquilla.
Uruguay, fourth in the standings after three matches, will on Tuesday face Brazil. Brazil was playing Venezuela late Friday for the lead in the 10-team pack.
Colombia remained in sixth place. It next plays Ecuador in Quito.
Uruguay was without key players including goalkeeper Martín Silva, defender Sebastián Coates, midfielder Federico Valverde, and striker Maxi Gómez.
But a mistake by Colombia defender Yerry Mina in the fifth minute gave Uruguay the lead. Mina lost the ball near his penalty box, Nahitan Nández pounced, and Cavani hit gently from close range, giving no chance to goalkeeper David Ospina.
Colombia missed a chance when Duván Zapata’s header hit the right post.
Uruguay came back through a counterattack. Rodrigo Betancur stopped a Colombia push and fed Suárez. The striker passed it back to Betancur inside the penalty box and the midfielder was brought down by Jeison Murillo. Suárez, the top goal scorer in South American qualifiers, netted his 25th from the spot in the 54th minute.
Nuñez made it 3-0 in the 73rd, and Colombia got into deeper trouble in the last minute when defender Mina was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.