Colombia out to give Argentina new dose of Monumental blues

BUENOS AIRES: Every time Colombia come to play Argentina at the Monumental, the local fans are reminded of the twice World Cup winners' most humiliating home defeat - 5-0 in 1993.
Friday's World Cup qualifier will be no different as Falcao's Colombia look for a victory that would put them within two points of South American group leaders Argentina.
They will fancy their chance

s, too, if Lionel Messi is not fit enough to start for Argentina, bringing back memories of Diego Maradona watching from the stands as Colombia tore apart the home side 20 years ago.
Messi, ever present so far in the 16-match series, resumed training this week after a three-week recovery process from a hamstring injury.
"With Messi, the best in the world, it would be better if he didn't play," said Colombia defender Luis Amaranto Perea,
"But Colombia need to think about doing their best with whoever plays and Argentina have great, marvellous players," he told reporters in Buenos Aires.
The 1993 match was seen as a coming of age for Colombia with a golden generation led by Carlos Valderrama and Faustino Asprilla whose victory sent them to the 1994 finals in the United States as one of the favourites.
Now Colombia have a side spearheaded by striker Falcao that could become as good as the 1990s vintage.
"Everything Colombia generate ends with Falcao as centre forward. The first thing we have to do is deactivate that circuit," Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano said.
"Colombia have midfielders with good technique, fullbacks who go deep, they have a great team."
PLAYOFF PLACE
Argentina, who won 2-1 away to Colombia early in the qualifiers, are on the threshold of next year's finals in Brazil and would like to make sure as soon as possible.
If they lose, second-placed Ecuador could move to within a point by beating Peru in Lima.
Argentina lead the table with 24 points from 11 matches. Ecuador have 20 points and Colombia 19, both with a match in hand.
The top four teams at the end of the qualifiers in October will go through to the Brazil finals. The fifth-placed team, at present Venezuela, will enter a playoff against an Asian qualifier in November for another berth.
Ecuador are a remarkable case of excellent home form with a maximum 18 points in six matches at high altitude in the Atahualpa stadium in Quito and only two points in four games on the road.
Peru need every point they can get to try to climb out of the lower reaches of the nine-nation group and into the qualifying berths as they attempt to reach the finals for the first time since 1982.
Uruguay, South America's best team at the 2010 finals in South Africa, have a bye for this round but will be watching intently given their precarious position outside the qualifying berths in sixth place.
Their rivals for the fourth and fifth places are both away, with Chile, who have 15 points, travelling to meet bottom team Paraguay at the Defensores del Chaco cauldron in Asuncion.
Venezuela, also on 15 points, climb 4,000 metres to the Hernando Siles in La Paz where they will be looking for a victory over Bolivia as a cushion for their home clash with Uruguay (13 points)