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Argentina qualify for World Cup after CONMEBOL rivals stumble

Argentina qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, despite playing out a goalless draw with CONMEBOL rivals Brazil.

Lionel Messi returned to the line-up but he was unable to inspire Argentina, who played out a stalemate against Qatar-bound Brazil in San Juan on Tuesday.

That underwhelming performance left Copa America champions Argentina waiting to discover their World Cup fate.

Argentina only had to wait less than an hour as 10-man Chile lost 2-0 at home to Ecuador, sealing La Albiceleste’s qualification after Colombia and Uruguay also failed to win.

Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina – riding a 27-game unbeaten streak – are second in the CONMEBOL standings with five matches remaining, six points behind leaders Brazil and six clear of third-placed Ecuador.

Argentina and Brazil have both played a game less following September’s qualifier in Sao Paulo, which was sensationally abandoned after Scaloni’s men left the field as Brazilian health officials tried to detain visiting players due to coronavirus regulations.

Having ended their 28-year wait for silverware via July’s Copa America, Messi’s Argentina will now look to conquer the World Cup.

Two-time champions Argentina – eliminated in the round of 16 at Russia 2018 – have not won the World Cup since Diego Maradona inspired the country to 1986 glory, though they reached the final in 2014.

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NEYMAR, RAPHINHA STAR AS BRAZIL CRUISE PAST URUGUAY IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Raphinha turned in another eye-catching performance for Brazil on Thursday by scoring twice in the home side’s 4-1 victory over Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier.

Brazil took the lead after 10 minutes when Neymar chested down a pass from Fred and rounded the keeper before firing low between two defenders on the goal-line.

Raphinha made it 2-0 after 18 minutes when he bundled home a parried shot from close range and then made it 3-0 after 58 minutes, completing a superb counter-attack with an angled shot.

Luis Suarez scored a consolation goal for Uruguay with a 77th minute free kick before Gabriel Barbosa restored Brazil’s three-goal cushion with a header seven minutes from time.

“This couldn’t be more memorable for me,” Raphinha said. “This is me fulfilling my childhood dream. It’s so gratifying to score.

“It’s going to be very difficult to forget this night.”

Both Neymar and Raphinha could have scored more, with Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera thwarting both in quick succession early in the second half.

It was a measure of Brazil’s superiority that Muslera was Uruguay’s best player on a poor night for the visitors, who have now won only two of their last nine qualifiers.

Brazil are now six points clear in the South American qualifying group, ahead of second-placed Argentina who beat Peru 1-0 on Thursday.

The top four qualify automatically for Qatar 2022 and the fifth-placed side goes into an inter-regional playoff.

Also on Thursday, Chile beat Venezuela 3-0 to record their second successive win. Erick Pulgar scored twice in the first half, both off Alexis Sanchez assists, and Ben Brereton made it 3-0 17 minutes from time to lift Chile onto 13 points in sixth place.

Venezuela, who have lost nine of 12 qualifiers, are bottom of the group on seven points, four adrift of Peru.

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Brazilian soccer great Pele leaves intensive care

The tumor was found when Pele went for routine exams at the end of August. His surgery was Sept. 4 and he had been expected to leave intensive care last week.

Retired Brazilian soccer star Pele was moved out of intensive care as he continues to recover from surgery to remove a tumor from his colon.

The 80-year-old Edson Arantes do Nascimento was in good clinical condition and will remain “from now on recovering in his room” at Albert Einstein Hospital, the Sao Paulo facility said in a statement on Tuesday.

Pele said he is ready “to play 90 minutes, plus extra time” after leaving intensive care. “Don’t think for a minute that I haven’t read the thousands of loving messages I’ve received around here,” Pele wrote on Instagram, smiling in the accompanying photo.

“Thank you very much to each one of you, who dedicated a minute of your day to send me positive energy. Love, love and love!”

The tumor was found when Pele went for routine exams at the end of August. His surgery was Sept. 4 and he had been expected to leave intensive care last week.

Pele, the only male player to win three World Cups, has had mobility problems since a failed hip replacement surgery in 2012, forcing him to use a walker and wheelchair. In recent years, he has also undergone kidney and prostate procedures.

Pele won the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups, and remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 matches.

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EIGHT BRAZILIAN PLAYERS TO BE BARRED FROM PLAYING IN PREMIER LEAGUE THIS WEEKEND

Eight Brazilian players at Premier League clubs are set to be barred from playing this weekend over a refusal to release them for international duty.

The PA news agency understands that the Brazilian football federation (CBF) has written to FIFA asking that an automatic restriction be placed on the players from appearing for their clubs between September 10 and 14.

The players are Ederson and Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, Liverpool trio Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino, Fred at Manchester United, Thiago Silva at Chelsea and Raphinha at Leeds. The CBF did not request a restriction be placed on Everton forward Richarlison, who was released by the club to play for his country at the Olympic Games this summer.

FIFA in turn has contacted the Football Association and the clubs concerned regarding the Brazilian federation’s request. The world governing body may impose sanctions if the players do feature for their clubs when classed as being ineligible.

The Premier League announced prior to the September international window that players would not be released where that involved travelling to countries on the UK Government’s coronavirus ‘red list’.

Anyone returning from a red-list country or who has been in a red-list country in the 10 days prior to entering the UK must quarantine in a Government-approved hotel for 10 days, which would mean players missing Premier League as well as Champions League and Carabao Cup games.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for an exemption, but the request was not granted.

Aston Villa did reach an agreement with two of their players – Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia – to play in Argentina’s first two World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Brazil, but miss the third against Bolivia.

Tottenham duo Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso are expected to be fined when they return to club duty, PA understands, after travelling without permission.

All four Argentinians are at the centre of a separate row over allegations that they had declared false information on official forms to the Brazilian health authorities on entering that country and in doing so had broken quarantine rules.

Health authority officials entered the pitch during the Brazil v Argentina match in Sao Paulo on Sunday seeking to deport three of the players on the field at the time, forcing the match to be suspended. The situation was described as “crazy” by Infantino this week and FIFA has now opened a disciplinary investigation involving both countries’ national associations.

FIFA is understood to have also received requests from two other South American nations asking for restrictions to be imposed – from Paraguay in the case of Newcastle midfielder Miguel Almiron, and from Chile in relation to Francisco Sierralta of Watford and Ben Brereton-Diaz of Blackburn.

The Mexican federation has requested Raul Jimenez be ineligible for Wolves between September 9 and 13.

It remains to be seen whether clubs will follow the restrictions this weekend, and, unless an agreement can be reached, then the whole situation looks set to flare up again ahead of the October international window.

In previous international windows since the pandemic began, clubs had been allowed to refuse to release players if they would be required to quarantine for five days either on arrival with their national team or on their return to their club.

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FIFA OPENS DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS FOR ABANDONED BRAZIL-ARGENTINA MATCH

World football’s governing body FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings into Sunday’s Brazil v Argentina World Cup qualifier which was abandoned after five minutes due to intervention by health officials.

Brazilian health authorities invaded the pitch to stop the game after accusing four of Argentina’s English Premier League players of violating the country’s COVID-19 quarantine rules.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Tottenham Hotspur duo Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso were on the Neo Quimica Arena field as part of Argentina’s team when officials from Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa halted the match.

“Following the analysis of the official match reports related to the FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Brazil and Argentina, FIFA can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened involving both member associations,” FIFA said in a statement.

“The two teams were asked to provide further information on the facts that led to the suspension of the match, which will be gathered and then thoroughly reviewed by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee.”

Anvisa said Brazilian rules make clear that travellers who have been in the UK, South Africa or India during the previous 14 days are forbidden from entering the country unless they are Brazilian citizens or have permanent residency.

It said Argentine players had made false statements about their previous whereabouts on immigration forms. Brazil’s Federal Police said on Monday they had opened a formal inquiry into the actions of the Argentine players who, a spokesperson said, were deported.

Argentina’s Aston Villa midfielder Emiliano Buendia had also traveled from the UK and was in the stands.

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BRAZIL-ARGENTINA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER SUSPENDED AFTER HEALTH OFFICIALS INTERVENE

A World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina was suspended after Brazilian health officials objected to the participation of three Argentine players they say broke quarantine rules.

Just minutes after kickoff on Sunday at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, officials entered the pitch to stop the game, prompting players from Argentina to walk off the pitch.

“The referee and the match official will take a report to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and they will decide what steps to take,” said a statement issued by CONMEBOL.

In a subsequent statement, FIFA said it “confirm that following a decision by the match officials, the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying match Brazil vs. Argentina has been suspended. Further details will follow in due course.”

The players went to the dressing room, although the two coaches, along with Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Brazilian players, gathered at the side of the pitch a few moments later to discuss the stoppage.

“Why did they start the game and stop it after five minutes?” Messi said in comments heard on television. “We’ve been here at the stadium for an hour, they could have told us.”

Messi then returned to the dressing room, and at 5 p.m. local time, an hour after the game kicked off, the match was officially suspended.

Brazilian Football Confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said he was “indignant” with the scenes that reverberated around the football world.

He criticised Brazilian health regulator Anvisa and said officials told him the Argentines who breached the country’s COVID-19 rules could have been deported after the game.

“I feel sorry for all the sports fans who wanted to watch the game on television,” he told Brazil’s Sportv. “With all due respect to Anvisa, they could have resolved this earlier and not waited for the game to start.”

Argentina’s FA expressed its “discomfort” over the situation, adding that “football should not have to go through these type of incidents that go against the sporting spirit of such an important competition.”

A shellshocked Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni agreed.

“It makes me so sad, I am not looking for guilty parties, whatever happened or didn’t happen, this wasn’t the time to do it,” he told Argentine broadcaster TyC Sports.

“We wanted to enjoy a game between the best in the world and it ends up like this.”

“As a coach I am going to defend my players. If people come and say we want to take this guy or deport this guy there was no chance of that,” he said. “Because at no time were we told we couldn’t play the game.”

The incident occurred just hours after Brazil’s health regulator, Anvisa, said four Argentine players must isolate and could not play in the match. The four Argentine players — Emiliano Buendia and Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa, and Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur — play in England’s Premier League.

Under Brazilian rules, visitors who have been in the U.K. in the 14 days before entering the country must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

Anvisa was tipped off that the four did not state that information on their immigration forms, and on Sunday said they confirmed the details given were “false.”

“Anvisa considers the situation a serious health risk and so has asked local health authorities to determine the immediate quarantine of the players, who are stopped from participating in any activity and should be prevented from remaining on Brazilian soil,” Anvisa said in a statement.

Nevertheless, no action was taken and the four players were allowed to travel with the Argentine team from the hotel to the stadium. Martinez, Lo Celso and Romero were in the starting lineup.

The confusion comes amid continuing anger in South America over rules that have disallowed several teams from using key players for this month’s three World Cup qualifiers.

Brazil are without nine key men for the Argentina game, and other South American sides have also lost players due to a decision by some European clubs not to let their players travel to the continent.

They would have to quarantine on return, and the clubs do not want to lose their players for subsequent league games.

Aston Villa said Buendia and Martinez had agreed to return to their club after the Brazil game and will miss Argentina’s game against Bolivia on Tuesday. Martinez and Romero had also played in Argentina’s 3-1 win over Venezuela last week.

Brazil currently lead the South American qualifying group for Qatar 2022, six points ahead of second-place Argentina. The top four qualify automatically for Qatar.

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BRAZIL BEAT CHILE TO STAY STRONG IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Everton Ribeiro came off the bench to score the goal that gave Brazil a barely deserved 1-0 win over Chile on Thursday that maintained their 100% record in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

Chile matched Brazil for most of a bad-tempered match but Ribeiro fired home after 64 minutes to give the visitors all three points.

Brazil have won all seven of their qualifiers so far and the five-times world champions are six points clear of Argentina, who beat Venezuela earlier in the night, in the 10-team South American group.

Brazil’s preparations for the match were thrown into turmoil by some clubs’ decision not to release their players due to concerns over the lengthy quarantine on their return.

Nine players from England did not join the squad as expected and two of those called up in their place from Zenit St Petersburg arrived in Brazil but were recalled to Russia before the Chile game.

And while Brazil could still count on the likes of Neymar, Casemiro and Marquinhos they were second best for most of the first half and had goalkeeper Weverton to thank for a series of saves that kept the game goalless.

Coach Tite introduced Ribeiro and Gerson for Vinicius Junior and Bruno Guimaraes at halftime and Ribeiro justified his inclusion when he seized on a parried Neymar shot to fire home in a packed penalty box.

Chile have won just one of their seven games and face two testing away matches against Ecuador on Sunday and Colombia next week.

The top four qualify automatically for Qatar and the fifth-placed side goes into an inter-regional playoff.

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OLYMPICS 2020: BRAZIL BEAT MEXICO ON PENALTIES TO REACH FOOTBALL FINAL

Brazil beat Mexico 4-1 on penalties in their men’s Olympic football semifinal in Saitama on Tuesday following a 0-0 draw after extra-time.

The match was a repeat of the London 2012 Olympic final, which Mexico won 2-1.

Brazil, the holders having won gold in their home Olympics in 2016, had the better of the first half, but the second failed to live up to expectations.

Richarlison came close to winning it in normal time when he hit the post with a header from a Dani Alves cross.

The game went to extra time and, while Brazil looked more likely to break the deadlock, the match finished goalless after 120 minutes and it went to spot kicks.

Dani Alves scored Brazil’s first penalty before Eduardo Aguirre saw his spot kick saved. Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli then put Brazil 2-0 ahead with a cool penalty and Mexico’s second effort through Johan Vasquez hit the post.

Bruno Guimaraes stepped up and put Brazil in total control before Carlos Rodriguez got Mexico on the board. With the scores at 3-1, Reiner knew a goal would clinch it for Brazil and made no mistake.

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OLYMPICS 2020: NETHERLANDS, BRAZIL DRAW IN EPIC SIX-GOAL THRILLER

Dominique Janssen’s 79th-minute goal pulled Netherlands into a 3-3 draw with Brazil on Saturday in women’s football at the Tokyo Olympics.

Vivianne Miedema gave the Dutch the early lead in the third minute but Debinha countered with an equaliser in the 16th. The teams were tied until the 59th, when Miedema scored another.

Marta converted a penalty kick to tie the score 2-2 in the 64th minute, before Ludmila’s goal about four minutes later gave Brazil the temporary lead.

Netherlands, ranked No. 4 in the world, routed Zambia 10-3 in their Olympic opener with Miedema scoring four goals.

Netherlands advanced to the World Cup final two years ago in France but lost to the United States. The Tokyo Games are Netherlands’ first Olympics.

Brazil beat China 5-0 in its opener. Marta had a pair of goals, becoming the first player to score in five straight Olympics.

Marta’s goal brought her to 13 at Olympics, which is one behind the all-time record held by Brazil teammate Christiane, who is not in the 2020 squad, but the Orlando Pride forward said she is only focused on team success.

“Our objective is to think of the collective,” Marta told Brazil’s Globo TV after the match. “Scoring goals is part of our job, but always while thinking about the collective.

“Records always happen naturally in my life, it’s never been forced. If I have to score one, two goals to help my team, then it’s normal.”

Brazil are coached by former U.S. and Sweden coach Pia Sundhage, who won gold with the Americans at the 2012 London Games.

Earlier, Zambia and China had drawn 4-4 in another epic match in Group F.

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TOKYO OLYMPICS: RICHARLISON HITS HATRICK AS BRAZIL BEAT GERMANY 4-2

Richarlison scored a first-half hat trick as defending Olympic champions Brazil kicked off their Tokyo 2020 campaign with a 4-2 win over 10-man Germany at the International Stadium in Yokohama on Thursday.

The Everton striker, who was one of several notable names in the Selecao’s squad alongside Dani Alves, Douglas Luiz and Malcom, opened the scoring on seven minutes, scoring from a rebound after his initial shot was saved by Florian Muller.

On 22 minutes, Richarlison doubled Brazil’s advantage with a header following Bruno’s cross from the left before completing his treble on 30 minutes, again after good work from Bruno, with a curling effort into the far corner of the goal.

Brazil could have made it four just before half-time when Benjamin Henrichs handled in the penalty area, but Matheus Cunha saw his spot-kick saved.

Germany threatened to fight back when Nadiem Amiri’s strike from the edge of the box fortuitously beat Santos in the Brazil goal on 57 minutes.

Maximilian Arnold’s dismissal six minutes later looked to have effectively ended Germany’s hopes of recovering a point but Ragnar Ache’s unlikely header in the 84th minute moved them within touching distance until Paulinho added a fourth goal for Brazil in stoppage time, firing into the top corner following a counter-attack as Germany chased an equaliser.