Argentina’s hopes of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup were dealt another major blow during the small hours of Friday morning.
Despite dominating their qualifier against Peru in Buenos Aires’ La Bombonera stadium, they were unable to score – the game finishing 0-0.
The draw sees the two-time winners of the the competition in sixth position in South America’s qualifying with one final round of fixtures to be played. Only the top four teams will qualify automatically for the World Cup, with the fifth-place team facing New Zealand in a play-off next month.
As things stand, Brazil, Ururguay, Chile and Colombia occupy the automatic qualification positions, while the draw for Peru leaves them on course for a play-off.
Argentina’s final qualifier comes against Ecuador in Quito – a city in which they haven’t won a competitive match in 16 years. Although their opponents are already out of the reckoning for a place in Russia next summer, Jorge Sampaoli’s men face a difficult game, especially when factoring in the thin air of the Ecuadorian capital.
Victory in Quito, coupled with results going their way elsewhere may be enough for Argentina to secure their place in Russia. They’re a point off Peru and only two behind fourth-place Colombia. Fortunately, from an Argentine perspective, the two nations face each other in Lima, meaning at least one of them will drop points.
If their recent run of forms is anything to go by, however, it looks increasingly likely that the beaten finalists of the 2014 tournament will miss out on a place at the World Cup for the first time since 1970.
As unthinkable as it might seem, Lionel Messi might have already played his last game at a World Cup.
