Argentina thanked their Spanish-based legionnaires Leo Messi and Sergio Aguero for returning the two-time world champions to winning ways as both scored in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Uruguay.
Barcelona’s Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Aguero put the Albiceleste in command with their dual salvo in the opening 13 minutes and that proved enough to end a five-match winless run.
A recent streak of draws and dearth of goals had left Messi and company playing second fiddle in the South American standings to Paraguay, who preserved their four-point lead with a 1-0 win in Colombia thanks to Salvador Cabanas’ early decider which handed the hosts a third straight loss.
But Argentina kept the pressure on rivals Brazil as they moved onto 16 points from nine games with the qualifying program now at the half-way stage.
Only the first four countries are guaranteed a place in the finals in South Africa in two year’s time, with fifth place only securing the chance of qualification via a playoff against the fourth-placed team from the CONCACAF group.
The mercurial Messi used his head in nodding Argentina into a sixth-minute lead against Uruguay and Aguero smashed home the second seven minutes later to cheer a 50,000 crowd in the Estadio Monumental after Esteban Cambiasso had hit the post when fed by the industrious Carlos Tevez.
But Argentina had to sweat and overcome some nervous moments as they reverted to recent cautious type after Diego Lugano reduced the deficit five minutes before the break from close range.
Despite the pressing of Messi, Tevez and Juan Riquelme — and sterling work in the center by Javier Mascherano — the visitors held firm in a niggly second half which saw a rash of bookings.
Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino, meanwhile, congratulated his men on a tough job well done in Bogota against Colombia as they maintained their early charge with a sixth win in nine games.
“I thought we were excellent at the back and that’s what formed the bedrock of this win,” said Martino, who saluted Cabanas’ goal on his comeback from injury at the Estadio El Campin. “That was a real piece of opportunism from a player who allowed us to get our noses in front early, which meant we could then sit back and rely on quick counterattacks.”
Eduardo Lara, Colombia’s new coach following the sacking of Jorge Luis Pinto, complained that the Paraguayans “played with eight, and sometimes nine men behind the ball. And they were very physical.”
At the wrong end of the table Bolivia moved off the bottom with a 3-0 win over Peru at altitude in La Paz aided by an early brace from local hero Joaquin Botero, who moved ahead of 1960s favorite Victor Ugarte as his country’s all-time highest scorer with 17.
Ronald Garcia scored a late third against a hapless Peruvian side who are now bottom of the heap.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
RSS