Argentina: Drab 0-0 Draw Against Peru Leaves Lionel Messi And Co. In Serious Danger Of Missing 2018 World Cup

Chris Wright

6th, October 2017

5 Comments

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Argentina are getting perilously close to missing out on the 2018 World Cup after a drab 0-0 draw with Peru on Thursday evening left their qualification hopes dangling by a gossamer thread.

Lionel Messi and the chaps carved out a succession of decent chances but failed to make anything stick in front of a cacophonous Bombanera crowd, as Peru ‘keeper Pedro Gallese kept all and sundry at bay…

The single point garnered leaves Argentina wallowing down in sixth place in what is proving to be an incredibly tight CONMEBOL qualification pool.

While 13 points behind leaders Brazil, the Albiceleste are level on points with Peru in fifth and just one point behind Colombia and Chile in fourth and fifth place respectively…

Image: ESPN FC

With each nation now having just one fixture remaining apiece, two points currently separate third and seventh.

Come the final standings, the top four teams will qualify for Russia 2018 automatically, while whoever finishes fifth will have to face New Zealand in a play-off in November.

Argentina are set to play Ecuador in Quito (always a challenging task due to the strangulating altitude), where they’ve failed to record a win since 2001.

Put it this way: The omens are not good.

Posted in International football, South America, World Cup

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5 Comments

  1. Ewan G says:

    F!FA must be shitting themselves with Messi on the verge of not going. Be interesting to see the refereeing display in that game against Ecuador.

  2. Edinburgh Saint says:

    I wonder if Adidas, as a long time sponsor of FIFA, will put pressure on FIFA to make up spurious reasons to eject another team from the World Cup so that their star sponsored man and one of their key sponsored teams don’t miss out

  3. Bruno says:

    Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is cleaning his European Championship trophy won with… er…. Portugal.

  4. Jarren says:

    Incredible to think of a World Cup without Argentina, Messi or not.

    As a neutral in the whole South America standing, I hope they make it.

  5. Geraldo says:

    Not since Mexico 1970 (Pele, Bobby Moore, Gerd Muller et al) have Argentina failed to turn up at the Greatest Show On Earth. It will be a great pity if they don’t make it because as any true authority on world football will tell you, it is Argentina, not Brazil, which is the real home of South American football. Having said that though, every other country will be there on merit and if they’re not good enough, they have no entitlement to be there, Messi or no Messi.

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