Lost in all the column inches about Lionel Messi’s four-match ban, Argentina’s horrific performance in their 2-0 defeat to Bolivia and their subsequent falling to fifth-place in CONMEBOL qualifying was the passing of the belt to Bolivia in the Unofficial Football World Championships.
Lionel Messi has been suspended from four Argentina World Cup qualifiers (one has already been played) for saying something really bad, either (if FIFA is to be believed) to an assistant referee or (if Messi is to be believed) to the air. Argentina's World Cup qualification may hinge on Messi's excuse holding water.
Well, here's the video, so you can decide for yourself:
Bruno Fernandes de Souza hadn’t even been out of jail for a month before Brazilian soccer club Boa Esporte signed him as their goalkeeper. Now, most of us are all for giving someone a second chance after a mistake. But this wasn’t a simple infraction. Bruno was convicted of having his girlfriend killed and then feeding her body to dogs — it doesn’t get any less humane than that.
After three straight World Cups of the “Brazilian way” appearing to be nothing more than a fabricated lie engineered by Nike to sell more shoes or a conveniently easy Brazil pregame special for Fox Sports’ Rob Stone, the Brazilian creed of joga bonito is suddenly back in its full glory.
Brazil have become the second side to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, alongside hosts Russia. A team in the CONMEBOL region punching their ticket with over a year to go before the finals, and with four matches still remaining in qualifying, is heinous.
In La Paz, Bolivia, more than 10,000 feet above sea level, the air is so thin you can almost see Argentina's World Cup qualification hopes floating away.
It's not over yet, of course, but after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Bolivia and with Lionel Messi suspended for three of Argentina's four remaining qualifiers, it's not looking good.
We still don't know what Messi said to the assistant referee after Argentina's 1-0 win over Chile Thursday, but whatever it was got him a four-match suspension, curiously announced just six hours before the Bolivia match.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has handed Lionel Messi a suspension of four games for his altercation with an assistant referee following Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Chile on Thursday. The ban goes into effect immediately, ruling Messi out of Argentina’s match against Bolivia in La Paz later today.
(clears throat)
Webster's Dictionary defines "incompetence" as . . .
It doesn't really matter what Webster's Dictionary defines incompetence as, because I know it when I see it, and this is it. First, Belgrano de Cordoba's defense took a nap when they should have been paying attention to what River Plate's attackers were doing. One defender was paying attention, but he played the situation badly and took himself out of the action right at the start.
Try as Chile and his teammates might, Lionel Messi remained on course to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. When they get there, Messi’s teammates and the opposition might get the better of him, but tonight was not their night. Messi converted a penalty after a soft call in the box and Argentina hung on for a 1-0 victory in Buenos Aires.
Colombia almost offered Argentina a massive lifeline before they’d even taken the field by leaving it until the 83rd-minute to take the lead against lowly Bolivia in Barranquilla. However, James Rodriguez converted the follow-up after his initial penalty was saved, and Colombia secured a vital three points.
James remains very much on the periphery at Real Madrid, scoring only two goals in La Liga this season, but he’s a faultless captain when it comes to leading Colombia.
Police in Peru seized a shipment of 1,417 kilos of cocaine, worth millions of dollars, branded with Lionel Messi's logo.
Image: Police in Peru have seized 1,417 kilograms of Cocaine worth €85m with the photos of Messi on it. [md] pic.twitter.com/QCZg0gXxww
— Barcastuff (@barcastuff_real) March 23, 2017