Apparently Argentina Asked Peru to Roll Over. But Peru Didn’t.
Late late 2-1 win over Peru for Diego Maradona’s Argentina on Saturday night, with Martin Palermo scoring the all-important goal in the 93rd minute (and drawing a magnificent Klinsmann-esque diving celebration from his coach, see the very end of the above video.)
It was close. Unnecessarily close, considering Peru are rock bottom of the CONMEBOL qualifying group. Which might explain why, according to Peru’s 36 year old midfielder Roberto Palacios, Argentina spent much of the game asking Peru to just give up.
According to Tuttosport, Palacios specifically named and quoted Argentina’s Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, who he claims:
“Reminded me that the situation was complicated, he wanted [us] to lower the arms, did not know how to control us. The only thing I said was that I would like to let them win, but we could not give away anything because our qualification to the World Cup was very negative.”
Weird.
Would Mascherano really spend an entire match asking inferior opposition to give up and let them win? Or was it maybe just a bitr of (bizarre) gamesmanship?
Peru’s 90th minute equalizer suggests they had no intention of “lowering their arms”, but Palermo’s 93rd minute winner proves Argentina ultimately didn’t need them to. But only just.
The narrow win leaves Argentina in possession of the fourth and final automatic World Cup qualification spot:
Next game is a biggie. Argentina go to Uruguay this Wednesday October 14th, where a win for either team guarantees fourth spot. But loser isn’t guaranteed the fifth place playoff spot, because Ecuador (who go away to already qualified Chile) are lurking in sixth and ready to pounce.
Thanks to Alessio from Juventus Offside for sending us the Palacios/Mascherano tip. If you have any story tips, please send them to tips[at]theoffside[dot]com
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Comments | Add your comment
By alex | October 12th, 2009 at 8:41 am 
palermo was offsides!!!!…argentina are on the brink of not even qualifying….uruguay and argentina in montevideo???????….whoa….this is a must watch game…uruguay are coming off a win and mentally better prepared….if uruguay dont qualify its dissapointing but not tragic…if argentina dont qualify…heads will roll!
By alex | October 12th, 2009 at 9:08 am argentina controls there fate…they win there in….argentina loses and ecuador wins….there out….argentina loses and ecuador loses…then argentina will play costa rica or honduras….
By Elliott | October 12th, 2009 at 9:35 am In a sense, Argentina control their destiny. However, an away win in the Rio Platense clasico will be very difficult – and a draw is no guarantee to advance. AND to add spice, Chile´s current coach, Bielsa, was the Argentine coach in 2002 and still harbors some hatred…could Chile just rollover ala Peru 1978?
By shane | October 12th, 2009 at 10:12 am Things are still perfectly poised for Argentina to miss out. A loss coupled with an Ecuador win and shame for Messi and co. I would enjoy a Messi and Argentina-less World Cup even more than I will already enjoy the World Cup. Ibrahimovic is already all but out, all that is left is for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to join him on the sidelines.
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By alessio | October 12th, 2009 at 10:37 am This should bring up some questions about Mascherano’s captain-ship I think. I think it’s pretty underhanded to ask your opponents to roll over, and even worse when you’re the captain.
Personally, I’d like to see Uruguay make it, I have no feelings for Argentines but I have a man crush on Forlan and Martin Caceres now plays for Juve, so it’d be nice.
Posted from United States
By Bruno Romani | October 12th, 2009 at 11:37 am typical of a nation that already stole one world cup with the help of Peru. Not everyday is 1978.
By Oliviero | October 12th, 2009 at 12:37 pm alex is right palermo was offside on that play…
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By Melanie | October 12th, 2009 at 1:26 pm “I would enjoy a Messi and Argentina-less World Cup even more than I will already enjoy the World Cup. Ibrahimovic is already all but out, all that is left is for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to join him on the sidelines.”
Shane, my feelings exactly. I also relish the fact that Diego Maradona may have to admit he’s not the greatest coach either (although I doubt he’ll do that).
You’d think the fact that he might be stuck at home while Kaka is Johannesburg might upset Ronaldo, but his international play has been terrible, so I really don’t think he cares that much anyway.
By Brian | October 12th, 2009 at 3:29 pm With the way Argentina struggled against Peru, I believe they are better off not to qualify. I would prefer a strong SA contingecy in the WC, and if Argentina cannot even muster a strong showing against the wekest of the SA teams, they belong on the sidelines. I believe the defining factor will be how Uruguay play. It may demonstrate they are ready for the big game, or give Argentina the last gasp to change minds on their performance.
By alex | October 12th, 2009 at 8:40 pm asking peru to roll over???….thats pittyful….and by the way…ITS PERU!!!!!…the worst team in the south america….once i found out that they told peru to roll over….argentina doesnt deserve to go to the world cup….why play games out all?????…y not ask chile to roll over?…paraguay?…BRAZIL??….lol!!!!….snoby argentians…they think they deserve to go to the world cup….fuck it….tell fifa to pencil them in next world cup…i remember when argentina played mexico last year and argentina won 4-1 (i think)….and all the “mexican” reporters went on the field to interview players,….zanetti just blew off every reporter that came up to him….turned around and told his team….lets go…(with an asshole type attitude)…i never forgot that….its always sat in my head…i dont know about everyone else but the argentians are really snobs…at international level or club level…in copa libertadores or copa sudamerica….they think that boca or river should win all the tournaments….the chivas of guadalagara in the copa libertadores a few years back beat boca 3-0 at home (in mexico) and traveled to la bombonera (argentina) to play the away match…chivas was wining 2-0 and what happened????….the crowd started to harrass/throw things at the players..the players from boca were mad and commiting hard fouls….etc etc…how dare a MEXICAN team come to argentina and beat BOCA…
oh yea…and hiring maradona…great player…horrible coach….who hired this guy??????…this is his first time coaching any team….FIRST TIME!….for that….u signed ur way out of the world cup….
u think they’ll ask uruguay to roll over???? lol….well at least a tie!
