lippy
10-14-2009, 02:14 AM
They may have scraped past Peru on Saturday but Argentina still face the genuine possibility of missing out on the 2010 World Cup finals.
For Diego Maradona, the task is simple: beat Uruguay and Argentina can pack their bags for South Africa.
Lose and they may not even get the 5th place play-off spot.
That is how high the stakes are and given that Maradona has lost all 3 of his away group games to date, their hosts will know that this is a great chance to secure the final automatic qualification spot.
Uruguay are a very dangerous side: only Brazil have beaten them on home turf and no team has scored more home goals than Oscar Tabarez’s team: 19 in 8 games.
Most of their attacking threat comes courtesy of Diego Forlan (7 goals) and Luis Suarez (5), who were both on target in their 2-1 win at Ecuador on Saturday. The Atletico Madrid and Ajax forwards make up one of the most dangerous front lines in the competition.
And given some of the absolutely shambolic defending on display in Buenos Aires last weekend, these two must be real threats in the anytime goalscorer department.
Maradona again toggled with baffling substitutions and tactical alterations during the dramatic win over Peru – and with Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and a returning Juan Sebastian Veron at the other end of the pitch, you would have to think that attack is the best form of defence for the visitors here.
Pitting the tournaments top home scorers against a team of world-class attackers with a woeful defence in a must-win situation looks a sure-fire recipe for goals.
PREDICTION : over 2.5 goals :icon_guns
For Diego Maradona, the task is simple: beat Uruguay and Argentina can pack their bags for South Africa.
Lose and they may not even get the 5th place play-off spot.
That is how high the stakes are and given that Maradona has lost all 3 of his away group games to date, their hosts will know that this is a great chance to secure the final automatic qualification spot.
Uruguay are a very dangerous side: only Brazil have beaten them on home turf and no team has scored more home goals than Oscar Tabarez’s team: 19 in 8 games.
Most of their attacking threat comes courtesy of Diego Forlan (7 goals) and Luis Suarez (5), who were both on target in their 2-1 win at Ecuador on Saturday. The Atletico Madrid and Ajax forwards make up one of the most dangerous front lines in the competition.
And given some of the absolutely shambolic defending on display in Buenos Aires last weekend, these two must be real threats in the anytime goalscorer department.
Maradona again toggled with baffling substitutions and tactical alterations during the dramatic win over Peru – and with Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and a returning Juan Sebastian Veron at the other end of the pitch, you would have to think that attack is the best form of defence for the visitors here.
Pitting the tournaments top home scorers against a team of world-class attackers with a woeful defence in a must-win situation looks a sure-fire recipe for goals.
PREDICTION : over 2.5 goals :icon_guns