Argentina seeking answers after Brazil drubbing
ARGENTINE coach Edgardo Bauza was unbowed after a 3-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Brazil and a fourth match without a win this week, but promised his misfiring team still have qualification for the 2018 finals in Russia in their own hands.
“We still have a lot to do before the qualifiers end,” he said after Brazil’s easy victory in Belo Horizonte.
“We know that classification still depends on what we do.
“The game against Colombia will be different,” the 58-year-old said of their match against the third-placed side next week.
Argentina are sixth in the 10-team South American group on 16 points after 11 games, with only the top four automatically qualifying for Russia while the fifth-placed side faces a playoff with the Oceania winners.
Bauza is likely to be heavily scrutinised after recording just one win in five games in charge while his players will also face questions after they were outshone by Brazil’s three goalscorers, Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho.
Lionel Messi returned from three games out injured, but was largely anonymous and there was little of note from strikers Gonzalo Higuain or Angel Di Maria.
Sergio Aguero replaced Enzo Perez at half time but with Brazil dominant in the second period he had little chance to change the game.
“When they hit us hard we struggled to recover,” Messi said.
“We are more than aware that we have to change a lot. Of all the bad points, the good one is that we depend on ourselves, but we can’t be giving away any more points.”
Brazil took the lead after 24 minutes when Neymar slipped the ball to Coutinho on the left with the deftest of touches and the Liverpool midfielder hammered an unstoppable drive into the top corner of the net.
The Barcelona striker was lucky not to concede a penalty after he handled in the box 12 minutes later, but he was always dangerous at the other end and he doubled Brazil’s lead seconds before half time when he slotted home after taking a defencesplitting pass from Gabriel Jesus.
Paulinho sealed it 13 minutes into the second period when the midfielder charged into the box between defenders and poked home a cross from Renato Augusto.
“Today we imposed ourselves, the fans helped from the first minute and we leave here very happy,” Coutinho said in a pitch-side interview.
Argentina sports newspaper Ole called the performance a “catastrophe” and in a headline classed the side’s current predicament as “Russian Roulette”.
Argentina have won the World Cup twice and reached the final of their last three major tournaments, but have not won a senior title since the 1990s. Their next two games are against Colombia on Tuesday and then next March against Copa America champions Chile, who are fifth on the table on 17 points.
Brazil now have 24 points from 11 games, one clear of second-placed Uruguay on 23 points.
Uruguay maintained their push towards the finals with a hard-fought victory over Ecuador.
The Brazilians are six points clear of third-placed Colombia and seven points clear of Ecuador and Chile, who are level on 17 points after 11 games.
Argentina are languishing outside the qualifying places in sixth with 16 points.
The two-time world champions have taken just two points from their past four qualifiers.
“We’re down but we’re still alive,” Argentina captain Messi said.
“We have to forget the situation we’re in and start thinking about Colombia. If we get a result against Colombia it will make things look a lot different.”
Bauza meanwhile admitted he had not expected to lose so heavily.
“It’s a hard defeat. I did not think we would lose 3-0, I thought it would be an even game,” Bauza said.
Of all the bad points, the good one is that we depend on ourselves We don’t think we’re dead, we just need to pick ourselves up
“But when they got their second it was all over.”
Uruguay, meanwhile, stayed firmly on Brazil’s shoulder with a 2-1 defeat of Ecuador at Montevideo’s Estadio Centenario.
The Uruguayans took the lead on 12 minutes when former Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates bundled in a corner from close range for his first international goal.
Espanyol striker Felipe Caicedo then rounded off a sweeping Ecuador counterattack to equalise just before half time.
But Uruguay responded immediately, Diego Rolan stabbing home a low finish on the stroke of half time to restore the home side’s lead.
Elsewhere, Copa America Centenario champions Chile had captain and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to thank for their hard-earned point in a 0-0 draw against Colombia in Barranquilla.
The Chileans, missing injured Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez, needed two superb saves from Bravo to keep Colombia at bay in a gritty game that was played in sweltering conditions.
But Bravo’s display was tempered by an injury which forced the Manchester City goalkeeper off the field midway through the second half.
Bravo had earlier produced two fine blocks to deny Oscar Murillo and Miguel Borja as Colombia struggled to break the deadlock.
Colombia’s Argentinian coach Jose Pekerman bemoaned a lack of precision in front of goal, but he was buoyed by the return of talismanic striker Radamel Falcao, who was introduced as a half-time substitute.
“We tried everything and we had chances but we lacked precision,” Pekerman said.
“But the most important fact of the game was the return of Falcao.”
In other games, Paraguay suffered a 4-1 mauling against Peru in Asuncion to derail their qualification campaign.
Paraguay took an early lead through Cristian Riveros after nine minutes, but Peru hit back with second-half goals from Christian Ramos, Edison Flores, Christian Cueva and an Edgar Benitez own goal to run out convincing winners.
Paraguay coach Francisco Arce attempted to put a positive spin on his team’s loss.
“We’re still in the race to qualify,” Arce said. “We don’t think we’re dead, we just need to pick ourselves up and get on with it,” he added.
Paraguay, who are two points outside the qualifying positions, face Bolivia away in their next game.
Venezuela, meanwhile, scored their first win of the qualifiers with a 5-0 thrashing of Bolivia at home, with Josef Martinez scoring a hat-trick. — AFP