At the Maracanà the match started 27′ late due to the accidents. Martinez intervenes against the police
– Rio de Janeiro
In an evening of violence on and off the pitch, Argentina achieves the feat: it inflicts Brazil’s first defeat at home in the entire history of the World Cup Qualifiers. It ends 1-0, with a goal from defender Otamendi in the second half. And Lionel Scaloni, world champion coach, revealed in a press conference that he could leave the leadership of the Selección. “This team needs someone who has all the energy possible. I’ll think about it,” said the Argentine coach.
mega delay
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The match started almost half an hour late due to clashes between the two sets of fans and between security agents and the Argentine ultras. Messi, as Albiceleste captain, withdraws the team from the pitch and returns to the locker room until calm returns: “You can’t play in these conditions”.
war
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Chaos erupted at the time of the national anthems. The visitors’ team is booed a lot by the Brazilian public. And the two fans are not isolated as usually happens in club matches at the Maracanã. The fights broke out in the southern sector of the stadium where there were around three thousand Argentinians (in total there were 68,138 spectators). Argentina leaves the pitch, the players approach the stands to see what is happening: they run, they fight, the seats in the stadium fly. The police beat the fans with truncheons.
Emiliano Martínez, Argentine goalkeeper, even tries to snatch a truncheon from a policeman, but is stopped. Argentina decides to return to the locker room. It seems like it’s over here, but the situation is slowly returning to normal. A cordon of security officers is set up to isolate the visiting fans from the home fans. Eight people are arrested. And the Brazilian Football Federation now expects suspensions to arrive.
tense atmosphere
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The match starts 27 minutes late. The game is fragmented: after 19′ of the match there are even 13 fouls (there will be 42 in the whole match). Only towards the second half of the first half do we see some football. And the best chance before the break was for Brazil: defender Romero saved Gabriel Martinelli’s shot in the six-yard box in the 43rd minute.
winning head
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Raphinha and Martinelli himself had already wasted good opportunities at the start of the second half, when Otamendi headed the ball past Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson, former Roma, after a corner placed by Lo Celso: the match-winning goal came in the 17th minute of the second half. The Brazilians no longer know how to react. The Argentines are more experienced and defend the result. Messi, a little in the shade, was replaced in the 32nd minute of the second half by Di María, when Lautaro Martínez also came on in place of Álvarez in attack. In the 25th minute Roma’s Paredes and Viola’s Nicolás González also came on. “They only won with one chance” is the comment of Carlos Augusto, starter on the left wing. Brazil finishes the match with 10 men: Joelinton, who came on in the 26th minute, was sent off ten minutes later for attacking De Paul. It’s another bitter record for the Seleção: it’s the third defeat in a row in the World Qualifiers.
Messi’s protests
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In the end Messi criticized the organizational shortcomings, highlighting the violence against the Argentines in Brazil: “This team continues to make history. A great victory at the Maracanã, even if it will be marked by the repression against the Argentines once again in Brazil. This cannot be tolerated, it is madness and must stop immediately!” Messi wrote on Instagram.
brazil to the limit
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After six rounds (out of 18) this was the last match of 2023 for the South American World Qualifiers. It starts again in September 2024, when Brazil hopes to already have Carlo Ancelotti on the bench in place of the current coach Fernando Diniz. In the standings Argentina is leading with 15 points; then Uruguay, 13: Colombia, 12; Venezuela, 9; Ecuador, 8; Brazil, 7; Paraguay, Chile, 5; Bolivia, 3; Peru, 2. The top six qualify directly – so Brazil is at the limit – while the seventh will play a play-off.
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