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SPORTS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 Brazil’s worst nightmare if Argentina wins World Cup RIO DE JANEIRO: For Brazilians, not winning the two - and a highly disputed victory, at that - 20 which Brazil won 1-0. Argentina has the world’s top player in Lionel World Cup would be bad enough. Even worse years later. Argentina fielded its first national team in 1902, Messi and an easier draw with Bosnia Herzegovina, would be bitter rival Argentina winning in Brazil “Argentina was always much more developed according to Santos, 12 years ahead of Brazil. Iran and Nigeria, and may not face a difficult match where 200 million locals are expecting to cele- than Brazil,” Santos explained. “Argentina didn’t “Amazingly, people have not paid that much atten- until the quarterfinals. brate. have slavery, we did. They had industry. They had tion to the numbers,” Santos said. “Everyone knows Many Brazilians fear what may happen in the “This would be every Brazilians worst night- everything first. As a country, we admitted we it’s very even.” Santos says there is a sector of streets if Brazil is eliminated, particularly if it hap- mare,” said Newton Cesar Santos, the Brazilian were a kind of second-class country compared to Brazilian society hoping for Brazil to lose in the pens before the final. author of a 600-page history of the Brazil- Argentina.” World Cup. “They are against this government and “I think if Brazil loses early, or does anything but Argentina rivalry - Brazil X Argentina: Stories of the In truth, football has delivered where politicians they figure a loss could create instability, more win, people will come out and express their frus- Biggest Classic in World Football. “Let anybody win, have failed. Both countries have been through eco- demonstrations and force social changes,” he said. tration,” said Marta Nagai, a Brazilian physician but not Argentina.” nomic instability, dictatorships, coups, and run- The reality of this year’s World Cup is that while working in Rio. “All the issues about the big spend- There are many intense football matchups: The away inflation. But the football has usually been Argentina may have a better team and an easier ing will be questioned.” And of course Argentines Netherlands vs. Germany and England vs. Scotland. world class. Brazil has Pele, Argentina has draw, Brazil has the advantage of playing at home. would like nothing better than to see Brazil fold. If But none rivals Brazil vs. Argentina. Maradona and the debate about who is better nev- Brazil is placed among the favorites with Spain, it’s in the final at the Maracana, all the better. Some of Brazil’s national self-esteem rests on er ends. Argentina and Germany, in part because it’s the It happened in 1950, the last time Brazil hosted being the world’s lone football superpower. It’s the The records? It depends whose record. The host nation. Brazil’s problem is the draw and, the World Cup. Brazil lost the deciding match of only country to have played in every World Cup Argentine Football Association and the Brazilian although the team led by young forward Neymar is the final group stage to Uruguay 2-1, a loss that’s and won the most title - five. The South Americans Football Confederation have slightly different good, few rank it as one of Brazil’s greatest. Its never forgotten in Brazil lore. set the standard for flair, and 73-year-old Pele results. Santos has kept his own record. “Brazil and chances of winning are given as probably 25 per- “The most beautiful thing that can happen this remains the game’s most famous brand. It wasn’t Argentina records disagree about what is an offi- cent. Not great odds. Brazil has a relatively easy year is Argentina winning the World Cup in Brazil,” always this way. It the early history of football, it cial match or not,” Santos said. “Of course, each has four-team group with Mexico, Croatia and said Celia Dominguez, who works in a dental office was Argentina that was the power in South a record that favors its national team.” Cameroon, but is likely to face either Spain or the in Buenos Aires. “To make it even better. Let’s have America. The game arrived there before it did in Santos calculates that from over 99 matches, Netherlands in its first game of the knockout stage. Argentina win the final against Brazil with Messi Brazil. But that changed when Brazil won the 1958 Brazil has won two more. Santos says the first offi- Next up could be one of three former World Cup scoring a penalty in the final minute. This is just to World Cup, long before Argentina won its first of cial match was Sept. 27, 1914 in Buenos Aires, champions - Uruguay, Italy or England. make the Brazilians suffer more.” — AP Sports digest PSG out to brush aside European nights are back! off-form Leverkusen By Ahmad Al Othman LEVERKUSEN: Bayer Leverkusen must brush off recent poor form if they are to stop Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Paris Saint- Germain’s march to the Champions League quarter-finals in today’s last 16, first-leg clash. Leverkusen have their work cut out containing maverick Ibrahimovic and overcoming the formidable obstacle of high-scoring PSG if they are to reach the last eight for the first time since 2002. Any side with Ibrahimovic in their ranks is dangerous and the Parisians finished as comfortable winners of Group C, scor- ing 16 goals in the process. The 32-year- old boasts the superb return of eight goals from five Champions League matches this term, leaving him second only to Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has nine. The Sweden star already has three more than in his previous best inally, Champions League foot- by Barcelona throughout the season. seasons in the competition with Inter ball is back! Waiting for more Evidently, it’s the Blaugrana’s weakest Milan in 2007/08 and AC Milan in Fthan two months was never an link compared to their majestic mid- 2011/12. GERMANY: Players listen to PSG’s coach Laurent Blanc during a training session ahead of the easy thing, and I assure you football field and fierce attack. Mascherano, Sami Hyypia-coached Leverkusen fans will set their timers at 10:45 local Pique and Puyol haven’t been having Champions League round of the last 16 first leg soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Paris have had far from an ideal preparation, time to witness the classics of the sea- the best of seasons, and at times it Saint-Germain today. — AP son. The Etihad Stadium is set to host was down to Victor Valdes who saved crashing to their second straight home the first leg of the last 16 as cash-rich the day and kept opponents at bay. defeat, their fifth loss in seven games, Manchester City take on league lead- The Catalans would surely favor play- when they went down 2-1 to Schalke 04 South American coaches add ers Barcelona. Two high-flying sides ing their first leg away at England, in Saturday’s Bundesliga match. that have been performing excellently which gives them an advantage of The defeat followed second-division spice to Champions League throughout their league campaigns playing the return one at Camp Nou. Kaiserslautern’s shock 1-0 extra time lock horns in what could be a goalfest This wasn’t the case back in 2009 German Cup win at Leverkusen’s BERNE: After years of trying, South American coaches are have struggled to adapt in the modern era even when and an open match. We’re just glad when Andres Iniesta scored that mem- BayArena last Wednesday, but Hyypia finally gaining a foothold in European football and their they their records suggested they had all the right cre- the wait is over! orable last-minute equalizer at refuses to panic. Although they beat Bayern Munich Stamford Bridge to cancel Essien’s growing influence will be heavily felt as the Champions dentials. Carlos Alberto Parreira lasted only a few months “If we play like we did against Schalke, back in December at the Allianz Arena, wonder strike and guide Barca to the League round of 16 gets under. Three of the eight teams at Spanish club Valencia after leading Brazil to World Cup it still wasn’t good enough to prevent triumphant final. we will be able to live with Paris,” said the in action this week are coached by South Americans, AC victory in 1994 while the hugely successful Boca Juniors City from finishing second and draw- City would have a decent chance ex-Liverpool defender. “Only playing well Milan’s Clarence Seedorf was born and ended his playing and Velez Sarsfield coach Carlos Bianchi fared just as bad- career on the continent and Bayern Munich’s Pep ly, with short spells at AS Roma and later Atletico Madrid. ing a group winner. Had they scored going into the second leg if they can doesn’t bring us points, we have to be more effective and score goals. I hope Guardiola said he was inspired by what he learned during Argentina’s Ramon Diaz and Colombia’s Francisco one more goal in that match, they cer- prevent Barcelona from scoring a visit to Argentina. Maturana were others who failed to make it on the other tainly would’ve faced another oppo- tonight. Pellegrini would surely com- we manage that against Paris.” Two of them meet in the week’s top clash as side of the Atlantic.

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