Argentina's midfielder Juan Veron (L) competes for the ball with Brazil's forward Luis Fabiano.
A Luisao header and two strikes of ruthless predatory instinct from Luis Fabiano gave Brazil the three goals they needed to condemn Argentina to only their second ever home defeat in World Cup qualifying.
The results from Argentina's last three qualifiers with Maradona in charge now read as follows:
loss, 6-1 vs Bolivia (away)
loss, 2-0 vs Ecuador (away)
loss, 3-1 vs Brazil (home)
Luis Fabiano drilled in two goals and Luisao added another to lead Brazil to a 3-1 win over Argentina late Saturday and to give their squad a spot in the 2010 World Cup finals.
Fabiano netted his two goals at the 30 and 68 minute marks, while Luisao scored just 24 minutes into the match.
Jesus Datolo put Argentina on the board at the 66-minute mark with the team's lone goal.
This defeat has complicated Argentina's hopes of reaching the World Cup finals.
The top four in the South American group will qualify automatically while the team finishing fifth goes into a playoff against the fourth-placed team in the CONCACAF region.
With three games remaining, Argentina is in fourth place, eight points behind first place Brazil, and also behind Chile and Paraguay.Game Analysis- What happen ?
With the atmosphere rocking in Rosario, Argentina started well but simply could not find a way through the yellow brick wall that was Brazil's backline, marshalled as ever by Lucio, who always tends to look so wildly focussed you wonder for a minute if he hasn't been temporarily possessed by demons. As time wore on the home side ran out of ideas though, allowing Brazil to impose their game. Argentina's failings are not through lack of commitment, or even talent. But there are fundamental flaws in the team, some the fault of the players, some the manager.
Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez as a two man strikeforce clearly doesn't work. With those shorties teams know Argentina won't be looking to cross balls into the box, so they do as Brazil did expertly; pack the area centrally around the penalty box and cut out supply from the midfielders. Veron's creative through balls were duly stifled, Messi became isolated and Argentina ran out of ideas. Where is the plan B? Where is Lisandro Lopez, absolutely flying for Lyon right now? Where is Gonzalo Higuain? Diego Milito made an appearance in the second half but by then the damage was done.
The defending was also atrocious. Birtles commented that Luisao was in so much space for the first goal that rather than head it he could have brought the ball down and then scored. He's right. In fact Luisao could probably have trapped it, made himself a ham sandwich, eaten it and still had time to slot the ball home casually such was the lack of marking. It was a gift. No matter what defensive lineup Maradona has tried since taking over he still hasn't got the blend right.
"Losing to Brazil is always an ugly experience," Maradona commented after the match, before stressing the difficulty of the trip to Paraguay. It is now a huge game for the visitors. Defeat there and you wonder how much longer Maradona can be allowed to remain in charge.
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Copa America 2007 , Brazil 3 - Argentina 0
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