Argentina's World Cup hopes suffer major blow without Lionel Messi in Bolivia
The visitors were beaten 2-0 by Bolivia - just six hours after their captain had been handed a four-match ban
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Argentina succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in their World Cup qualifier against Bolivia – just six hours after captain Lionel Messi was handed a four-match international suspension.
The loss means Argentina’s chances of qualifying for next year’s tournament remain in question and highlights the extent to which Edgardo Bauza's men are expected to suffer without Messi among their ranks.
La Albiceleste have now won five out of their six qualifiers in which the Barcelona star has played, but have emerged victorious in just one of the eight clashes he has missed.
Bauza's side currently sit in fourth in the table on 22 points, just ahead of Ecuador. Automatic qualification is handed to the top-four finishers while fifth enters into the inter-confederation play-offs.
Without Messi for their next three must-win games against Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela, Argentina face a daunting road ahead as they battle to guarantee their spot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Tuesday’s trip to La Paz proved to be one of the most testing fixtures of Argentina’s entire campaign.
Despite currently sit second-bottom of the CONMEBOL qualifying table, Bolivia have established a notorious home record due to the difficult conditions of their stadium, the Estadio Hernando Siles, which sits at an altitude of 3,637m above sea level.
Juan Carlos Arce opened the scoring with a header to hand Bolivia the deserved lead, while Marcelo Moreno added the decisive second after the break to secure victory for the home side.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments