Pre-Olympic. What result does Argentina need against Brazil, after the precedents of Riquelme, Aimar, Latorre, Simeone and more figures

After going through several emotions, positive and negative, in the vibrant 3-3 against Paraguay, the Argentine under 23 team lets the feelings settle and begins to do the math. What do you need to qualify for Paris 2024 in the Venezuelan Olympic Qualifiers? Nothing less than the classic against Brazil remains ahead of them, which they will hold this Sunday. The other match of the last day will be Venezuela vs. Paraguay. Schedules are pending.

After two dates of the final hexagonal, the AFA team has two draws: Sunday’s 2-2 against the host and this Thursday’s with the Paraguayans. The other two results so far were Paraguay 1 vs. Brazil 0 and Brazil 2 vs. Venezuela 1. Consequently, the positions are the following:

• Paraguay, with 4 points and +1 in goal difference
• Brazil, with 3 units and 0
• Argentina, with 2 and 0
• Venezuela, with 1 and -1

Thiago Almada, the only senior world champion in the Venezuelan Pre-Olympic, is the greatest Argentine figure; He will need the former Vélez player to overcome Brazil.Matias Delacroix – AP

The top two in the tournament will qualify for the Olympic Games. And the tie-breaking criteria in case of equality in units are these, in the following order of priority:

• Result of the match played between the teams tied on points.
• Goal difference in the final hexagonal.
• Number of goals scored.
• Fewer red cards.
• Fewer warnings.
• Lucky.

Argentina today occupies third place, which does not help it to access the Olympic tournament. You must surpass at least two opponents in the table. It is clear that, in the event of a defeat at the hands of Brazil, they will be out of the game. And a draw in the classic does not help them, because in that scenario they would be below Brazil and, with 3 points, they would not reach the Paraguayans, regardless of their result against the Venezuelans.

Ergo, only a victory will do. Completely, or would it still depend on the score of the other match on Sunday? In all, it would surpass Brazil (5 points against 3) and Venezuela, which would not reach the team led by Javier Mascherano.

Gabriel Pirani (7) is one of Brazil’s scorers, the last and decisive obstacle for Argentina on the way to the Paris Olympic Games; On Sunday, the albiceleste team must win the classic.Ariana Cubillos – AP

Therefore, the situation is very clear, since it does not depend on differences of scores or the result of others: if they lose or tie, Argentina will not travel to the French capital, and if they win, they will compete for the Olympic gold medal, which would be the third in case of achieving it.

When the five rings were far away

An eventual frustration in Venezuela would not be the first in pre-Olympics for the light blue and white team. Twice he finished halfway, without surpassing the South American competition, something that happened to him only once on the way to the World Cup (in 1969, heading to Mexico 1970; his other three absences, in France 1938, Brazil 1950 and Switzerland 1954, had other reasons, not sports eliminations).

In 1992 Alfio Basile directed the national team. The expectations were high, because with the same coach the senior team had won the 1991 Copa América Chile, with very good play and after 32 years without winning the trophy. The Olympic tickets were disputed in Paraguay, but the AFA team failed. And with a bang.

Despite having Diego Latorre, Diego Simeone, Antonio Mohamed, José “Turu” Flores, Mauricio Pochettino, Fernando Gamboa, Eduardo Berizzo and Leonardo Astrada, among others, Argentina did not make it past the group stage, condemned 1-2 to mercy of Uruguay. Hope ended too early, when it seemed that such a team was more than capable of achieving the first Olympic gold in football for the country in Barcelona 1992.

Valentín Barco fulfilled his suspension date due to an expulsion and is available to play against Brazil on the closing day of the Pre-Olympic.Ariana Cubillos – AP

Similar was what happened a few years later, with its sights set on Sydney 2000. Argentina had just won silver in Atlanta 1996 under the command of Daniel Passarella but had another technical director for the Pre-Olympic Games in Brazil. One seasoned, and very successful, in youth teams: José Pekerman.

That bona fide under 23 list included stars of the moment and the future: Román Riquelme, Pablo Aimar, Javier Saviola, Esteban Cambiasso, Gabriel Milito, Lionel Scaloni, Diego Placente, Leonardo Romeo, Leonardo Biagini and Albano Bizarri; These last two had been loaned by two heavyweights from Spain, Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, respectively. However, with all those players, the team lost not only a game on the last date, but also the classification. The rival? Chile… who with the 1-0 score traveled to Sydney along with the host, Brazil.

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Soccer Pre-OlympicPre-Olympic 2024Under 23 National TeamArgentine National TeamBrazil National Team

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