31 March 2004 - Centenariazo!

On 31 March 2004, visitors Venezuela upset Uruguay 0-3 in a World Cup qualification match.

Going into their qualification campaign, Uruguay manager Juan Ramon Carrasco had reworked the side's rigid defensive style into an open and attacking flow, resulting in wins over Bolivia (5-0) and Chile (2-1), as well as an explosive 3-3 draw with Brazil (though they also suffered a crushing 4-1 loss at Paraguay). Venezuela, meanwhile, had opened with losses to Ecuador (2-0) and Argentina (0-3) before rallying with narrow wins over Colombia (0-1) and Bolivia (2-1).

Playing before a crowd of 40,094 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, the hosts attacked from the opening whistle, applying furious pressure on the Venezuelan goal. But it was the visitors who took the lead in the 19th minute with a long-range blast from midfielder Gabriel Urdaneta. Uruguay renewed their energy on offense and were twice denied by the woodwork in the first half.

Venezuela doubled their lead in the 67th minute with a goal from Héctor "El Turbo" Gonzalez on a counter. Ten minutes later, Gonzalez delivered a cutting pass that fellow midfielder Juan Arango easily stabbed home for the final 0-3 margin. Venezuelan supporters dubbed the match "the Centenarazo," after Uruguay's famous "Marazanazo" victory over Brazil in 1950. Uruguay manager Carrasco, meanwhile, called the match "a stain on the history of Uruguayan football."

Ultimately, neither team qualified for the 2006 World Cup, as Venezuela's form faded and they finished 9th out the 10 CONMEBOL teams. Uruguay finished 5th and advanced to the CONMEBOL/OFC playoff where they lost to Australia on penalties.

13 March 1955 - Four Teams, Three Medals (Sorry, Venezuela)

On 13 March 1955, the opening matches of the Pan American Games' football tournament were played in Mexico City. Although 22 nations participated in the Games, only four sent teams for football: Venezuela, the Netherlands Antilles, hosts Mexico, and defending champions Argentina.

The tournament used a table format, with two points for a win and one for a draw. Each team played the other three two times, for a total of six matches each, with the top team at the finish taking the gold medal.

The two opening-day matches were both close, as Mexico played Venezuela to a 1-1 draw, while Argentina beat the Netherlands Antilles 2-1. In the latter match, the Netherlands Antilles took a shock lead in the 9th minute, but the defending champions scored two goals in under three minutes (20', 22') to take the lead and the win. The Netherlands Antilles were hampered by the loss of a player to injury in the 70th minute and finished the match with 10 men.

Argentina repeated as champions with 5 wins and a draw, while Mexico took the silver and the Netherlands Antilles went home with the bronze. Venezuela finished out of medal position at the bottom of the table with only one win to go with two draws and three losses.

The US, which chose not to send a football team to Mexico despite participating in the rest of the Games, nevertheless had an impact on the pitch, as the referees for both opening matches were Americans.