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BRAZIL 0 / ARGENTINA 1, April 29, 1998. |
RIO DE JANEIRO, April 29, 1998 (Reuters). Brazil meet Argentina in a mouth-watering World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday that is likely to be friendly only in name. The intense rivalry between the two South American giants, at both club and national team level, means that all games are intensely disputed. And with the World Cup just six weeks away, the game takes on extra significance for two of the nations with a real chance of winning it. The match is also Brazil's last international before France and the players know it is their last chance to impress coach Mario Zagallo. Brazil won the last clash between the two, a friendly in Buenos Aires two-and-a-half years ago, amid allegations from Zagallo that the Argentines had been underhanded by giving his team a substandard training pitch. Before that, Brazil had won a Copa America quarter-final the same year in the most controversial manner, going through on penalties after forcing a draw with a late equalizer after Tulio appeared to control the ball with his arm. Argentine coach Daniel Passarella protested vehemently while the Brazilians mocked their opponents, reminding them of Diego Maradona's infamous Hand of God goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. Argentina's last win, a 3-2 victory in the 1991 Copa America, came in a match marred by five red cards. Not surprisingly, Passarella has tried to play down the importance of the game, reminding everyone that it is just warm-up for the World Cup. "Nothing is going to change for the team that wins or loses," said Passarella, whose team beat Ireland 2-0 in a friendly last Wednesday to make amends for a shocking 2-1 defeat by Israel a week earlier. Argentina still have home friendlies with Chile and South Africa while Brazil's only other match is against Spanish club side Athletic Bilbao on May 31. On Wednesday, Argentina will be missing injured striker Hernan Crespo and full-back Jose Chamot, while Brazil's Dunga is suspended after being sent off in the 2-1 win over Germany last month. The game is Brazil's first at the historic Maracana stadium since September 1993, when they beat Uruguay 2-0 to claim a place at the last World Cup. Uruguay were also the last visitors to beat Brazil at home, in a friendly in 1992. 
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