RIO DE JANEIRO, 8 September 2003 — Argentina threw away a two-goal lead in a disappointing 2-2 home draw against Chile as the South American qualifying competition for the 2006 World Cup kicked off on Saturday. In the day’s two other games, Peru came from behind to hammer Paraguay 4-1 and Ecuador started with a 2-0 home win over Venezuela as the marathon battle for four automatic berths began nearly three years before the final is due to be played.
Argentina, in particularly coach Marcelo Bielsa and midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, have yet to win back the confidence of the public after the team’s spectacular failure in Japan and South Korea, where they arrived as favorites only to crash out in the first round.
Veron was booed every time he touched the ball by the crowd in Buenos Aires, although the new Chelsea signing had a good match in midfield and was gradually winning the supporters over before he was surprisingly substituted for Matias Almeyda midway through the second half. Chile, missing Italian-based midfielder David Pizarro and striker Marcelo Salas through injury, appeared tailor-made for the occasion.
Argentina had won their last five matches against their neighbors from across the Andes and have not lost to them for 30 years. Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez and Pablo Aimar scored twice in four minutes to give Argentina a 2-0 first-half lead but Chile stunned the River Plate stadium when Milovan Mirosevic and Reinaldo Navia scored in the second half.
A bad-tempered ending saw Argentina’s Walter Samuel and Chile’s Cristian Alvarez sent off for fighting while Navia was also dismissed for a tackle from behind.
Chile’s next game is on Tuesday at home to Peru, who got off to the perfect start against Paraguay. Paraguay, who reached the last 16 at the last two World Cups, went ahead when Carlos Gamarra headed in Francisco Arce’s outswinging corner as two of the team’s stalwarts combined.
But the rest of the match suggested that Paraguay were a team who are past the prime. Newcastle United midfielder Nolberto Solano headed Peru level after 34 minutes and eight minutes later set up the second for Club Bruges striker Andres Mendoza with a 60-meter pass out of defense. Peru soaked up Paraguay pressure for most of the second half then struck with two more goals in the last ten minutes from locally-based Jorge Soto and Jefferson Farfan.
In Quito, already enjoying the advantage of playing at 2,800 meters above sea level, Ecuador were gifted an early goal by Venezuela, the only members of the South American Football Confederation who have never played at the World Cup. The visiting defense stood and watched as Giovanni Espinoza nipped in to put Ecuador ahead after five minutes after a free kick was floated in from the left. Carlos Tenorio headed home the second in the second half. Ecuador visit defending champions Brazil, who begin their campaign in Colombia on Sunday, next Wednesday with coach Hernan Dario Gomez in confident mood.
Euro 2004 Hopefuls
Eye Playoff Chances
Italy and hat trick hero Filippo Inzaghi came out strongest from the latest round of Euro 2004 qualifiers but Spain’s 3-0 win over tournament hosts Portugal in a friendly could be of greater significance. While Italy crushed Wales 4-0 to go top of Group Nine, England came from behind to beat Macedonia 2-1 away and keep pace with Turkey in Group Seven and defending champions France continued their relentless march in Group One.
The Spanish impressed against Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Portugal but they were watching from the sidelines as Greece all but secured qualification from Group Six. Greece upset the apple cart with a 1-0 win in Spain in June and their 1-0 victory in Armenia on Saturday coupled with Ukraine’s 0-0 home draw with bottom team Northern Ireland put the Greeks firmly in control, four points clear of Spain.
The top team from each group qualifies for the finals, while the second-placed team goes into a playoff with the runner up from another group for a spot in Portugal.
With the Greeks needing a home victory over winless Northern Ireland in their last qualifier on Oct. 11 to finish top of the group, Spain are realistically looking at the playoffs and the unspeakable possibility of not even getting to the finals in neighboring Portugal next year. But the Spanish, who had not beaten Portugal for 45 years, did rediscover their scoring touch on Saturday with goals from Joseba Etxeberria, Joaquin Sanchez and Diego Tristan against a Portuguese side being groomed by Brazilian Scolari.
Spain have two qualifiers left, at home to Ukraine on Wednesday and away to Armenia on Oct. 11, and the playoffs unless the Greeks slip up badly, to put things rights. Wales’ fate at the San Siro reflected that of a number of teams that started as outsiders but have given themselves a chance of reaching the finals.
Having surrendered top spot in their group to favorites Italy, the Welsh will have to fight to ensure they bag at least a playoff berth, starting with their home match against third-placed Finland on Wednesday.
Combative midfielder Robbie Savage, defender Mark Delaney and forward Craig Bellamy, who scored the winner when Wales beat Italy 2-1 in Cardiff last October, were all booked on Saturday and miss the Finland match through suspension.
England should beat Liechtenstein at Old Trafford on Wednesday and travel to Turkey for next month’s decider needing only a draw to qualify in top spot. Iceland are top of Group Five by one point after holding Germany 0-0 in Reykjavik but the real fight for top spot is between the World Cup runners-up and Scotland, who meet in Dortmund on Wednesday.
Belgium must beat Croatia at home on Wednesday to stay in the hunt in Group Eight. They are four points behind Bulgaria and three short of Croatia with two matches each to go and the Bulgarians virtually assured of the points in Andorra on Wednesday.
Ireland let slip the chance of overtaking Switzerland at the top of Group 10 when they drew 1-1 with third-placed Russia in Dublin. The Irish must now hope the Russians, who can still sneak through, beat the Swiss in Moscow on Wednesday before they travel to Switzerland for their last qualifier on Oct. 11.
Denmark are in the strongest position in a tight Group Two since they have a match in hand over co-leaders Romania and third-placed Norway, who are two points behind. The Danes play Romania at home on Wednesday.
