Argentina qualify for World Cup
Published:Thursday | October 15, 2009 | 9:01 AM
Argentina ended an embarrassing campaign by qualifying for the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Uruguay last night.
Argentina might have missed their first World Cup since 1970 if they had lost at packed Centenario Stadium.
Moments after Uruguay defender Martin Caceres was ejected for his second yellow card, substitute Mario Bolatti scored amid a goalmouth scramble in the 84th minute to send a relieved Argentina to the finals in South Africa next year.
Argentina claimed the fourth and final automatic berth in South America, while Uruguay finished fifth and earned another chance to qualify through the playoffs next month.
Diego Maradona, an icon as a player but under enormous pressure as a coach credited the win to all the support he received from the fans. However, he said some Argentine media treated him ‘like garbage.’
Argentina ended fourth with 28 points, and Uruguay finished with 24, and Ecuador 23 after losing to Chile 1-0.