Argentina will be facing Colombia today on what will pass as their acid test enroute their World Cup qualification journey in Argentina as the squad may file out without their magic man Lionel Messi.
According to Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, the World’s best player has been okayed for the game but it was still not clear if the Barcelona star would enter the fray after a three-week recovery process as he is just recovering from a hamstring injury.
Sabella praised Messi’s tactics after which he revealed that his being down with a hamstring affected Barcelona’s chances as the team known as the best for the past 30 years was rubbished in major turfs that they were known to always conquer their opponents and this applies to the Argentina national team as well but they are going to try and not miss him by making up for his absence.
Colombia is expected to come to the Monumental in Buenos Aires hungry for a win that would put it within two points of South American group leaders Argentina.
It will fancy its chances, too, if Lionel Messi is not fit enough to start for Argentina, bringing back memories of Diego Maradona watching from the stands as Colombia tore apart the home side 20 years ago.
Third place Colombia is led by striker Radamel Falcao Garcia who the Argentine coach said players will look to neutralize.
Argentina, that won 2-1 away to Colombia early in the qualifiers, is on the threshold of next year’s finals in Brazil and would like to clinch its place as soon as possible.
If it loses, second-placed Ecuador could move to within a point by beating Peru in Lima.
Argentina leads the table with 24 points from 11 matches. Ecuador has 20 points and Colombia 19, both with a match in hand.
The top four teams at the end of the qualifiers in October will go through to the Brazil finals. The fifth-placed team, at present Venezuela, will enter a playoff against an Asian qualifier in November for another berth.
