Buenos Aires - Argentina are in serious danger of missing the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as they approach the last two rounds of the South American qualifiers, based both on their recent results and on their performances on the pitch. In a very tight edition of the region's qualifiers, only Brazil and Paraguay have so far secured World Cup places. There are two direct spots still at stake, as well as the chance to play a team from North or Central America or the Caribbean in a play-off with the winner advancing to the World Cup.
Brazil have 33 points from 16 games, to Paraguay's 30. Chile are currently third in the rankings with 27 points while Ecuador stand fourth with 23 points, followed by Argentina on 22 points, Uruguay and Venezuela with 21 each and Colombia at 20.
With a remaining two rounds of play by Wednesday, eight of the region's 10 teams still have a chance to play in South Africa.
And as things stand ahead of those crucial games, Argentina - a football-crazy country that won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986 - would need to endure the play-off.
The giant coached by football legend Diego Maradona and theoretically led on the pitch by Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi desperately needs to lift its level in a key match against Peru Saturday in Buenos Aires.
Messi, arguably the best player in the world but who has repeatedly failed to live up to expectations in Argentina's blue and white shirt, will get another chance to become a national hero. This time, he is set to team up in attack with Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain, in his first cap, with benfica veteran Pablo Aimar as a creative midfielder.
"We are not yet out of the World Cup," Maradona said after the 1-0 loss to Paraguay in September.
Since then, the coach went to Italy for two weeks of weight loss treatment and Argentine media repeatedly slammed Maradona and his men alike.
Many have argued that Maradona - an undisputed genius when he was a player - is clueless on the bench, and that players are "mercenaries" who lack sufficient motivation when they are not playing for money.
Even FIFA president Joseph Blatter told the German Press Agency
