Argentina top of South American musical chairs
Reuters - Saturday 08 September 2012, 06:07
Lionel Messi was
almost unstoppable again as Argentina posted their sixth victory
in a row, swatting Paraguay aside 3-1 to take the lead in South
America's World Cup qualifiers on Friday.
Argentina, among the favourites to win the 2014 World Cup in
Brazil, took over from Uruguay as the team to beat in the
qualifying campaign.
Argentina ended a 39-year wait for another home win over the
dogged Paraguayans in a World Cup qualifier and in securing it
they sent their opponents to the bottom of the standings.
Messi might have had a third hat-trick in five
internationals, hitting the woodwork twice, and his goal took
his tally to 10 in six matches including friendlies.
"This is beautiful. It's lovely when the crowd give you so
much love," Messi said.
Messi brought the best out of the players around him with
Angel di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain scoring fine goals. Sergio
Aguero, seen as Messi's ideal partner in attack, was not even
missed.
Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, whose side stuttered at
the start of the qualifiers, said: "We remain with our feet on
the ground and we don't want the players to go from one extreme
to the other... Messi is happy and shows it on the pitch."
POOR START
The nine-nation group without Brazil, who as hosts are
spared the qualifiers, can be divided into two halves. The top
four will go to the Brazil finals, the fifth team will have a
50-50 chance, playing off against an Asian side, and the bottom
four will miss out.
Colombia, who had played below potential in a poor start to
the campaign that included the sacking 10 months ago of coach
Leonel Alvarez, climbed into the top five with a 4-0 rout of
Uruguay in steamy Barranquilla.
"We mustn't lose focus of what this qualifying campaign is,"
Colombia's Argentine coach Jose Pekerman warned after the
emphatic win sparked by red-hot striker Radamel Falcao's early
opening goal.
"This was a key result against one of the best teams in the
world... [previously] 18 matches unbeaten, and we need to make
the right reading of it," he said.
Colombia's win pushed Venezuela, who are looking to reach
the finals for the first time but were beaten 2-1 away to Peru,
down to sixth place.
Peru, who came from behind with a brace by reinstated,
controversial winger Jefferson Farfan, climbed out of the
basement now occupied jointly by Bolivia and Paraguay, who two
years ago were quarter-finalists in South Africa.
HIGH ALTITUDE
The Peruvians will be looking to confirm their improvement
when they host Argentina in Lima on Tuesday.
The same day, previous leaders Chile, who had a bye on
Friday, entertain the Colombians, while Uruguay will be looking
to pick up the pieces against Ecuador.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez, who makes no bones about the
qualifiers being tougher than the finals, saw his side drop to
fourth two points behind Argentina and one short of Chile and
Ecuador.
Ecuador, crushed 4-0 when they met Argentina in Buenos Aires
in June, have quietly picked up a maximum 12 points from four
home matches without conceding a goal, evidently taking
advantage of the high altitude of Quito that handicaps their
opponents.
Bolivia have been unable to do this, apart from a 3-1 home
win over Paraguay in June due more to the ineptitude of the
Paraguayans' former coach Francisco Arce, who was then sacked.
Experienced Uruguayan Gerardo Pelusso took over from Arce
and had hoped to surprise Argentina with some tough defence and
counter-attacking while admitting before the game no-one has
succeeded in shackling Messi. His team were no exception.