Source: Liverpool_Echo
Liverpool FC's Lucas is heading for the World Cup, but Javier Mascherano must wait and see
LIVERPOOL'S Lucas watched Brazil book his place at next summer's World Cup finals - but Anfield team-mate Javier Mascherano is now sweating on next summer's South African jamboree.
Brazil stunned their arch-rivals Argentina with a 3-1 win in Rosario on Saturday night to become the first South American side to book a berth in the 2010 finals.
It was Argentina's first World Cup qualifying home defeat for 16 years, since September 5 1993, when they lost 5-0 to Colombia in Buenos Aires.
And the chances of Olympic gold medal winning Mascherano adding a World Cup final appearance look increasingly bleak.
Diego Maradona must now takes his beleaguered squad to Paraguay on Wednesday for a meeting with Gerardo Martino's ever-combative side.
With only two points separating them from Colombia and Ecuador in fifth and sixth respectively, Argentina's margin for error is decreasing with every game.
'I'm feeling composed. There's no cause for alarm,' said a calm but clearly downcast Maradona. 'It won't be easy to go to Paraguay, but we'll see what solutions we can find for our problems and try and take the three points.
'Anything can happen in football as today's game showed. We had to beat Brazil and we lost. There's no time for feeling sorry for yourself, though. You have to keep looking forward.'
