World Cup qualification: Argentina vs Brazil

Enlarge image

Argentina against Brazil, that's also Lionel Messi against Neymar

Photo:

Nayra Halm / Photo Arena / IMAGO

Argentina's province of San Juan is upside down because of the football game against Brazil: Overcrowded hotels, fully booked flights to the western border with Chile and a four-kilometer, multi-lane line of cars on a dusty road in front of the barrier to the ticket issuance testified on Sunday of a heated climate two days before the duel in the World Cup qualification between Argentina and Brazil.

Due to the rush of fans, who have mostly been on site in their cars and tents since Saturday, the opening of the ticket booths originally planned for Monday morning was brought forward, and when the last cordon was lifted around 8 p.m. on Sunday evening, a rush of thousands began, many with folding chairs the waiting time under the arm for the almost 25,000 tickets.

It is the top duel of the reigning South American champions against the only nation on the continent that has qualified for the 2022 World Cup, which was canceled after five minutes in São Paulo at the beginning of September for violations by Argentine professionals against coronavirus restrictions.

With a current twelve point lead over the tied teams in positions four to six, Argentina could buy one of the four direct tickets to Qatar with a maximum of twelve points to be awarded with a win against Brazil.

Unbeaten in 24 games

And it's about series.

Brazil is still unbeaten in the so-called Eliminatorias, under national coach Tite even for 24 World Cup qualifiers in a row.

Argentina, on the other hand, has not been defeated for 26 appearances, broke rows of successes of their arch-rivals with the 1-0 final victory at the Sugar Loaf.

He had always won a South American championship at home before, never lost with Neymar in the Maracanã and with Tite on home soil.

Behind Brazil (34 points) and Argentina (28), third-placed Ecuador (20) and fourth-placed Chile (16) want in a direct duel, Colombia (16) at home against the stumbling Paraguay (12) and Uruguay (16) in the amount of Bolivia (12) improve their starting position on Tuesday.

And Peru (14) could have a say again about the World Cup tickets with a win at bottom-ranking Venezuela (7).

sak / sid