Argentina Rallies Past Brazil, 2-1

L.A. Times Archives

Sept. 6, 2001 12 AM PT

Times Wire Services

Argentina beat Brazil, 2-1, Wednesday in South American qualifying for the 2002 soccer World Cup, hampering its archrivals’ chances of securing an automatic place in the finals.

Argentina, already guaranteed a berth among the 32 finalists at next year’s tournament in Japan and South Korea, scored twice in the last 15 minutes in Buenos Aires after conceding an early goal to the four-time world champions.

The result leaves Brazil, the only team to have played at every World Cup, in fourth place in the 10-team standings with 24 points, ahead of fifth-place Uruguay on goal difference.

The top four teams qualify for the finals and the fifth team faces a two-game playoff with Australia for a place in the finals.

In other qualifying games, Sweden and Spain clinched berths in the finals, and the Netherlands was eliminated.

Sweden (7-0-2) got goals from Henrik Larsson in the 88th minute and Andreas Andersson in the 90th to rally past Turkey, 2-1, at Istanbul and clinch Group Four.

Turkey (5-1-3), which had gone ahead on Hakan Sukur’s goal in the 51st minute, is the first team guaranteed a spot in the November playoffs that will determine five more berths. The nine European group winners advance to the World Cup while the second-place teams go to two-game playoffs.

Spain (6-0-2) won, 2-0, at Liechtenstein (0-7) on goals by Raul Gonzalez in the 18th minute and Fernando Hierro in the 82nd to clinch Group Seven.

The Netherlands (5-2-2), the 1988 European champion and a World Cup finalist in 1974 and 1978, was eliminated despite a 5-0 victory over Estonia (2-5-2) at Eindhoven. The Netherlands, a semifinalist in 1998, will miss the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

Portugal (6-0-3) won, 3-1, at Cyprus (2-5-2) on goals by Nuno Gomes, Pedro Pauletta and Sergio Conceicao, ensuring the Dutch will finish third in Group Two. The Portuguese took over the group lead from idle Ireland (also 6-0-3) on goal difference.

England (5-1-1), coming off its historic 5-1 victory last weekend in Germany (5-1-1), moved into the Group Nine lead on goal difference by beating Albania, 2-0, at Newcastle on goals by Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler.

Belgium (5-0-2) guaranteed itself no worse than a playoff spot with a 2-0 victory over Scotland (3-1-3), which was pushed to the brink of elimination.

Croatia (4-0-3) moved into position to finish second in Group Six behind the Belgians with a 4-0 victory at San Marino.

Mexico easily defeated Trinidad and Tobago, 3-0, in Mexico City to keep its chances to advance alive.

Mexico controlled the match throughout, in spite of erratic play. The home team’s first goal came in the 23rd minute, on a penalty shot by Alberto Garcia Aspe.

At a Glance

* Wednesday’s results: Men, fourth round: No. 4 Lleyton Hewitt rallied to beat No. 16 Tommy Haas, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-2, in a match that was suspended by rain Tuesday. Quarterfinals: No. 10 Pete Sampras defeated No. 2 Andre Agassi 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5). No. 3 Marat Safin beat Mariano Zabaleta, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

Women, quarterfinals: No. 4 Venus Williams defeated No. 5 Kim Clijsters, 6-3, 6-1. No. 2 Jennifer Capriati, continuing her bid for a third Grand Slam title this year, beat No. 8 Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 6-4.

* Today’s featured matches: Day session (doubles semifinals): Kimberly Po-Messerli and Nathalie Tauziat (4), France, vs. Sandrine Testud, France, and Roberta Vinci, Italy; (men’s quarterfinals): Gustavo Kuerten (1), Brazil, vs. Yevgeny Kafelnikov (7). Night session: (Men’s quarterfinals:) Andy Roddick (18) vs. Lleyton Hewitt (4), Australia.

* Stat of the day: The 20 combined men’s major singles titles won by Sampras and Agassi are the most by opponents in a Grand Slam match since the 1969 U.S. Open quarterfinal between Roy Emerson and Rod Laver (22).

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Qualifying Standings

Only the top three teams advance to World Cup Korea/Japan 2002.

Wednesday’s scores

Costa Rica 2, U.S. 0

Honduras 1, Jamaica 0

Mexico 3, Trinidad and Tobago 0

Oct. 7

Jamaica at U.S.

Trinidad and Tobago at

Honduras

Mexico at Costa Rica