Brazil and Argentina convened for their first meeting of the qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa on Wednesday night, with Argentina aware that a win would take them back to joint top of the table alongside Paraguay, after the Guaraní fell to a shock 4-2 defeat to Bolivia in La Paz hours earlier. Both sides were short on confidence, and in the first half especially, it showed. After the break, Argentina attacked with more urgency, led by their two feuding standard-bearers, Lionel Messi and Juan Román Riquelme. In the end, though, there was no way through the Brazilian backline. 
Following Riquelme’s withdrawal, it was Messi who acted as the enganche for the remainder of the match, and whilst no goals followed, he hardly did his cause for the future any harm as Argentina continued their vastly improved second half showing. A minute into stoppage time, he might have won it, beating a man and sending in a vicious shot which was punched straight back into his path by Júlio César; Messi blasted the rebound just wide, before being replaced by Rodrigo Palacio. It was the final action of the match.
Brazil were the better of two very poor sides in the first half; Argentina far superior in the second without managing to find the finishing touch in the opposing box. Plenty to dwell on for Alfio Basile, but for now his team remain second in the qualification table, and the ‘Messi or Riquelme?’ question can be laid to rest for another couple of months…
Filed under: Alfio Basile, Argentine football, Argentine national team, Fernando Gago, Football, Football managers, Gabriel Heinze, International football, Javier Mascherano, Javier Zanetti, Juan Román Riquelme, Julio Cruz, Lionel Messi, Players, Results, Roberto Abbondanzieri, Rodrigo Palacio, Selección, Sergio Agüero, World Cup, World Cup Qualifiers Tagged: Messi, Argentine football, Riquelme, Agüero, Cruz, Zanetti, Basile, Brazilian football, Brazil Argentina, World Cup qualifier, Abbondanzieri, Juan, Gilberto, Júlio César
Following Riquelme’s withdrawal, it was Messi who acted as the enganche for the remainder of the match, and whilst no goals followed, he hardly did his cause for the future any harm as Argentina continued their vastly improved second half showing. A minute into stoppage time, he might have won it, beating a man and sending in a vicious shot which was punched straight back into his path by Júlio César; Messi blasted the rebound just wide, before being replaced by Rodrigo Palacio. It was the final action of the match.
Brazil were the better of two very poor sides in the first half; Argentina far superior in the second without managing to find the finishing touch in the opposing box. Plenty to dwell on for Alfio Basile, but for now his team remain second in the qualification table, and the ‘Messi or Riquelme?’ question can be laid to rest for another couple of months…
Filed under: Alfio Basile, Argentine football, Argentine national team, Fernando Gago, Football, Football managers, Gabriel Heinze, International football, Javier Mascherano, Javier Zanetti, Juan Román Riquelme, Julio Cruz, Lionel Messi, Players, Results, Roberto Abbondanzieri, Rodrigo Palacio, Selección, Sergio Agüero, World Cup, World Cup Qualifiers Tagged: Messi, Argentine football, Riquelme, Agüero, Cruz, Zanetti, Basile, Brazilian football, Brazil Argentina, World Cup qualifier, Abbondanzieri, Juan, Gilberto, Júlio César
1 comment:
i love the pic and info ad that arganteene kicked his beeeeeeeeeep
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