On Tuesday, a goal from Benfica defender Nicolás Otamendi gave Argentina a historic 1-0 win in Brazil, which suffered its first ever home defeat in World Cup qualifying, at the Maracanã.
In the 63rd minute, the Benfica captain jumped higher, after a corner from the left by Giovani Lo Celso, and beat Alisson with an unstoppable header, in a match that started half an hour late due to scenes of violence in the stands.
Five days after the 2-0 defeat against Uruguay, world champions Argentina again showed that things are not in a good moment and played a somewhat unsuccessful match, but still managed to beat the ‘Canarinhos’, in an undisguised crisis.
In what would have been Fernando Diniz’s last official game as head of the national team, Brazil suffered their first ever home defeat in the qualifiers, after 64 games, their third consecutive defeat and their fourth game without a win.
All told, the ‘Canarinhos’, expected to be led by Italian Carlo Ancelotti in 2024, recorded just three wins, against five defeats, in nine games in 2023.
With many missing, including Neymar, Vinicius Júnior and Casemiro, Brazil started too aggressively, on the verge of violence, and three of their players were ‘yellowed’ in the first half, with Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha at risk of expulsion.
In a very exciting first half, the only moment of football came in the 44th minute, when Romero prevented Martinelli’s goal after a corner kick.
After the break, Brazil started better and threatened through Raphinha (54 minutes) and Martinelli (58), but ‘Dibu’ Martínez responded ‘big’ in the Argentinian goal and at the other end Otamendi scored after a first attacking move after the break. The corner of Lo Celso.
In the last half hour, the ‘canarinhos’ still tried to avoid defeat, but Argentina, having more experience, had no great difficulty in maintaining the lead, and in the 81st minute Brazil still lost Joelinton, who was sent off the field sent for alleged aggression. .
Before that, Lionel Scaloni replaced an uninspired Lionel Messi in the 78th minute and launched Ángel Di María, who had scored the winning goal (1-0) against Brazil in the Copa América final at the same place on July 10, 2021. .
The Argentines held the lead in the South American qualifying zone for the 2026 World Cup, with 15 points, two more than Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay, who again showed their excellent form to beat Bolivia 3-0 at home.
Former Benfica striker Darwin Núñez was the star of the match, scoring a brace in the 15th and 71st minutes, before being replaced by Luis Suárez in the 73rd minute. In between, in the 39th minute, Gabriel Villamil scored in the goal. ‘.
Darwin Núñez scored for the fourth game in a row, after the penalty, in the 90+1 minute, which resulted in a draw (2-2) in Colombia, the goal that opened the score against Brazil (2-0) and the goal that ended the victory in Argentina (2-0).
Clashes in the stands
The meeting started with a delay of almost half an hour due to clashes in the Maracanã stands.
As the national anthems were sung, clashes began in the stands between Argentinian and Brazilian fans, mixed behind one of the goals at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium.
Police intervened and began clashing with Argentine fans.
As soon as the anthems finished, the Argentine players went to the venue to calm the fans, but the clashes continued and Lionel Scaloni’s men retreated to the dressing room.
“We went to the dressing room because it was a way to calm everything down a bit. We went to see how family and people around us were doing. And then we came back,” Messi said at the end of the meeting.
On the contrary, the Brazilian players remained on the field under the leadership of Fernando Diniz.
After a few minutes, police forces managed to create a security cordon and isolate the Argentine fans, calming the situation.
Scaloni is considering giving up command of the Argentina national team
Despite the win, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni stated that he is considering continuing in the role.
“Now I have to stop the ball and start thinking. I have a lot to think about at the moment because this team needs someone with all the positive energy,” said Scaloni, the coach who led Argentina to triumphs in the 2022 World Cup. Cup and the Copa America 2021.
Scaloni added that his statements “are not goodbye”, but stressed that he must reflect as “the bar is very high and it is very difficult to continue”.
The Argentine coach also said he will speak with the president of the Argentine Federation (AFA) and with the players, who he remembers have given “a lot” to the country.
The other games
Colombia (third, with 12 points) also continued to rise, recording their second consecutive win and sixth goal-scoring match, winning 1–0 in Paraguay, thanks to a penalty converted in the 11th minute by Rafael Santos Borré.
For the same result, Ecuador recorded the fifth match in a row to score, when they received and defeated Chile 1-0, with a goal by Ángel Mena, in the 21st minute, in the rebound of an incomplete save by Brayan Cortés from a shot by Kendry Paez.
In the match that closed the round, Peru defeated Venezuela with a goal from Yoshimar Yotún in the 17th minute, but the outsiders managed to salvage their fifth straight match without losing, thanks to a goal from Jefferson Savarino in the 54th minute. .
The Venezuelans are in fourth place, with nine points, against eight for the Ecuadorians and seven for the Brazilians, who are only in sixth place, with the latter worth direct entry into the World Cup, proving that Brazil – and no other – – has never failed.
Paraguay occupies seventh place and qualifies for an intercontinental play-off, with five points, the same as Chile, eighth. Bolivia remains in ninth place, with three, and Peru in tenth and last place, with just two.
Source: DN
