Bolivia vs. Argentina
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti
November 11, 2011
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Supersub Ezequiel Lavezzi saved Argentina from a historic first defeat at home to Bolivia, after the Napoli striker cancelled out Marcelo Martins’ opener to ensure a 1-1 draw in Friday’s World Cup qualifying fixture. The Verde striker had been let in by a slack piece of defending by Martin Demichelis, which threatened momentarily to condemn the Albiceleste to a second straight defeat.
Argentina forward Lionel Messi reacts solemnly to another subpar home performance from his home country. (AFP Photo/Alejandra Pagni)
Playing on a glorious spring day in River Plate’s famous Monumental home, the first 20 minutes were forgettable for the hosts as the spirited Bolivians did an excellent job of shutting the game down. The away side played with 10 men behind the ball and only Marcelo Martins up front, and despite dominating possession chances were few and far between in an uninspiring start.
Disciple of Messi 