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Argentina ties with Chile in World Cup qualifier
Buenos Aires, Sept 07: Argentina and Chile draw in 2006 World Cup qualifier.
Buenos Aires, Sept 07: Argentina and Chile draw in 2006 World Cup qualifier.
Three players were sent off as Chile came from two goals behind to draw 2-2 away to Argentina on Saturday (September 6) in the opening match of the 2006 World Cup qualifying competition.
Argentina, hoping to win back public confidence for themselves and coach Marcelo Bielsa after their first-round exit at last year's World Cup, raced to a 2-0 halftime lead after midfielders Kily Gonzalez and Pablo Aimar scored in an electrifying four-minute period.
Substitute Milovan Mirosevic, who plays his club football in Argentina with Racing Club, reduced the deficit on the hour and striker Reinaldo Navia stunned the River Plate stadium when he equalised with 13 minutes left.
Navia was sent off in injury time, while Argentine defender Walter Samuel and Chile defender Cristian Alvarez were also dismissed as tempers frayed in the closing minutes.
Argentina had won the last five meetings with their neighbours from across the Andes and the fixture seemed an ideal chance for Bielsa, surprisingly kept on as coach despite last year's failure in South Korea and Japan, to redeem himself.
The game appeared to be going to form when Gonzalez opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a long-range shot that left Chile's veteran goalkeeper Nelson Tapia stranded.
Four minutes later, Pablo Aimar scored the second goal as he converted a chance created by Andres D'Alessandro, the crowd's favourite.
The game turned dramatically after Chile, already missing injured midfielder David Pizarro and striker Marcelo Salas, brought on Mirosevic before halftime after Rodrigo Melendez limped off.
Mirosevic reduced the deficit with a right-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area on the hour and Mexican-based Navia finished off a neat move in the 77th minute as he beat a defender and placed his shot wide of Pablo Cavallero.
In the 87th minute, Samuel and Alvarez clashed after a reckless challenge by the former and the pair were sent off after the incident led to a brawl between the players.
Chile finished with nine men after Navia was dismissed for a tackle from behind.
Bureau Report
Argentina had won the last five meetings with their neighbours from across the Andes and the fixture seemed an ideal chance for Bielsa, surprisingly kept on as coach despite last year's failure in South Korea and Japan, to redeem himself.
The game appeared to be going to form when Gonzalez opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a long-range shot that left Chile's veteran goalkeeper Nelson Tapia stranded.
Four minutes later, Pablo Aimar scored the second goal as he converted a chance created by Andres D'Alessandro, the crowd's favourite.
The game turned dramatically after Chile, already missing injured midfielder David Pizarro and striker Marcelo Salas, brought on Mirosevic before halftime after Rodrigo Melendez limped off.
Mirosevic reduced the deficit with a right-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area on the hour and Mexican-based Navia finished off a neat move in the 77th minute as he beat a defender and placed his shot wide of Pablo Cavallero.
In the 87th minute, Samuel and Alvarez clashed after a reckless challenge by the former and the pair were sent off after the incident led to a brawl between the players.
Chile finished with nine men after Navia was dismissed for a tackle from behind.
Bureau Report