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Showing posts with label world cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world cup. Show all posts

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Argentina checked into World Cup Finals 2010; Messi in!


Argentina qualify for World Cup

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) - Argentina ended an embarrassing campaign by qualifying for the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Uruguay on Wednesday.

Argentina would have missed its first World Cup since 1970 if it had lost at packed Centenario Stadium.

But moments after Uruguay defender Martin Caceres was ejected for his second yellow card, Mario Bolatti scored amid a goalmouth scramble in the 84th minute to send a relieved Argentina to the finals in South Africa next year.

Argentina claimed the fourth and final automatic berth in South America, while Uruguay finished fifth and earned another chance to qualify through the playoffs next month.

Uruguay will meet the No. 4 team from CONCACAF, either Costa Rica or Honduras.

Brazil, Chile and Paraguay had earlier clinched the first three automatic berths, leaving Diego Maradona's much criticized team to venture to Montevideo, where Argentina had never won a qualifier in three previous attempts.

Argentina wound up fourth with 28 points, and Uruguay finished with 24, and Ecuador 23 after losing to Chile 1-0.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Can Messi Beats Maradona?

Maradona: Do you think you can beat me, kid?
Messi: Why not, coach? I am sent by the God of God to play football. Let me show you the way to play beautiful football!


Argentina needs at least a draw against Uruguay to qualify automatically to the World Cup in SA, provided Ecuador beats Chile by less than 5 goals. A win will surely confirm their participation in the biggest sport event in the world. World Cup will lost its shine without Argentina as the best player in the world plays for this country. I wonder who is this great Argentinian!

Can Messi matches Maradona's achievement by bringing home the World Cup in 2010? What do you think? For record, Maradona leads Argentina to the second World Cup title in 1986, beating West Germany 3-2 in the final. If Messi wins the World Cup for Argentina, i think he will become the Best Legend of Football.


p/s: Pele once said Maradona is sent by God to play football. Maradona replied "I dont remember sending anyone to play football." Hence the conversation above.

Related post: Messi is better than Maradona

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Dunga bets on Argentina to qualify automatically
CAMPO GRANDE, Brazil (AP) - Brazil coach Dunga predicts Argentina will reach next year's World Cup in South Africa without needing a playoff.

Argentina plays Wednesday away to Uruguay in the final round of South American qualifying. Argentina will finish fourth in South American qualifying if it wins the match, which would give it the final automatic qualifying berth. Brazil, Paraguay and Chile have claimed the first three spots.

Argentina can also advance automatically with a draw.

Uruguay will also advance automatically if it wins, but a draw would not be enough.

"Uruguay is going to have to go for it, and that could give Argentina lots of space to play in," Dunga said. "They will be over the nervousness and will play much better." Argentina salvaged a 2-1 victory on Saturday against Peru, winning on Martin Palermo's scrambled goal three minutes into second-half injury time.

"Anyone who works in football knows Argentina not only had to beat Peru, but also a case of the nerves," Dunga said. Going into Wednesday's round of matches, Argentina has 25 points, Uruguay 24 and Ecuador 23.

The fourth-placed team advances automatically. The fifth-placed team earns a playoff in November with the No. 4 team from North and Central America and the Caribbean for another berth. The opponent will be either Costa Rica or Honduras.

Ecuador, which plays at Chile, also has a chance.

If Ecuador beats Chile, it will finish at least fifth and earn a playoff spot. Ecuador could also get the automatic spot. For that to happen, Argentina and Uruguay have to draw and Ecuador has to beat Chile by at least five goals.


Argentina needs a real coach, not Maradona
Argentina's sparky little playmaker is such a dazzling pleasure to watch; football's showcase would be poorer without him. - John Leicester



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