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Argentina’s last-gasp game-winner

Martin Palermo (Getty Images)

Amidst all the World Cup qualifying craziness of Saturday came one of the most dramatic finishes seen in quite some time.

No, I'm not talking about the U.S. team's win vs. Honduras, which was dramatic in its own right. I'm referring to Argentina's late game-winner vs. Peru. With just seconds remaining and with Argentina facing the very real prospect of falling into fifth place in South America's World Cup qualifying race, forward Martin Palermo knocked home a loose ball for a game-winner that will go down in Argentine history.

Enjoy:

Palermo! Palermo! Palermo!

What did you think of that last-gasp winner? Enjoy Maradona's belly-flop? Think Argentina will finish the job and qualify?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. the first and last time monumental will chant palermo’s name. (for those who dont know, monumental is river’s home stadium and palermo plays for boca. duh.)

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  2. The Spanish channel I watches had a great reply showing that he was clearly clearly clearly offsides. They even had they yellow line that they can overlay so you know the angle of the camera isn’t messing up your perspective.

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  3. I’m not kidding Ives they were sitting on a lead like that and almost got bit twice! And the goal could have been called offside but it was too close to call. It would be a sad World Cup without Argentina but you got to say for a team with all that talent they have been terrible recently. Bolivia for world cup champs! Anyone with me? And if anyone needs to know I’m a Ghanaian-American!

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  4. It looks to me like Palermo is about even with the last defender, but it’s very close. I completely understand why the ref did not call that offside.

    I see Argentina losing its last match, and I think Ecuador will either lose or get a draw … setting up an epic series between Argentina and Costa Rica.

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  5. “he was very close, it would have been great to see him do this if he were playing for columbus and it still is now, it still would have been cooler though if he was with crew”

    GBS didn’t count as a designated player last year. He does this year. So how would they have been allowed to keep Palermo in 2009? Who would they have had to give up for a DP slot, and would they have been as good giving up one of their best one or two players (other than GBS) for Palermo?

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  6. im happy for argentina, but i always used to think villa’s martin o’neil’s celebrations were sometimes too much, but diego is a disgrace… im sure he’ll treat himself to a line or two. purely unprofessional disgrace. congrats to argentina

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  7. He was onside. The hilarious thing is that Peru nearly scored a 55 yard goal right off the kick-off. Listen for that “OOOHHHH!!!” from the crowd at the end of the highlights. That is the ball nearly going into Argentina’s net. The goalie just tipped it over the crossbar.

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  8. People are right to say that Chile might lay down to Ecuador just to stick it to Argentina BUT Chile’s coach is from Argentina… I don’t think Bielsa would do that to his own country.

    Posted by: Henry | October 12, 2009 at 10:54 AM

    What he said. I’m betting Bielsa puts close to a full squad on the field against Ecuador.

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  9. At this rate, even if they do make the World Cup they stand about as a good a chance as the USA of making the second round. No one is going to be afraid of playing Argentina.

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  10. i find this pretty ironic

    about a year or so ago there were so many rumors that you couldnt count about palermo going to columbus to join GBS….he was very close, it would have been great to see him do this if he were playing for columbus and it still is now, it still would have been cooler though if he was with crew

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  11. Even though Peru was the bottom side, umm, did you see what they were playing in?? I don’t care how good you are, when you’re playing in a typhoon it’s not easy to do anything. Truly a stunning end to that game, especially with the kickoff hitting the crossbar right after like jamesey said. Imagine the scenes if that had gone in…

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  12. Ike, if you think Nowak and Palermo would work well together, you don’t know anything about either of them. Martin Palermo is a fantastic pure finisher in the Lineker mold, but won’t put up with a disciplinarian like Nowak.

    Frankly, I want to see Philly lose, so I think it would be a great idea, but if you’re a fan, not so much.

    As for the end of that game: amazing. One of my favorite ever.

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  13. People are right to say that Chile might lay down to Ecuador just to stick it to Argentina BUT Chile’s coach is from Argentina… I don’t think Bielsa would do that to his own country.

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  14. I think Palermo was onside.

    He was offside on the initial shot but it looks (and sounds)that the shot is deflected by a Peru player then hits an Argentina player (ends up being an inadvertent back heel pass) as it falls to Palermo, who at the moment of the final touch is onside.

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  15. He’s the Conor Casey of Argentina… plays in the domestic league and often passed over for players with more pedigree (although Palermo has been around quite a bit longer). Many fans probably wondered what he was doing on the field. He saves a much maligned coach and keeps Argentina’s destiny in their own hands (rather than helping the team qualify as Casey did for the US).

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  16. That clip doesn’t show that on the ensuing kick-off, Peru took a quick shot on goal from mid-field and hit the cross bar. Argentina’s goalkeeper barely got back from the celebrations and probably could have covered it.

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  17. How Argentina, with that squad of superstars, has not won every match (except for Brazil) is beyond me. Maradona was a spectacular player but is a joke as a manager.

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  18. I mean sure they won in a last gasp goal. But, isn’t Peru at the very bottom? Aren’t they a terrible team? The fact the they are celebrating like crazy for beating the worst team in their area shows how bad they really are. I think they are in big trouble and even if they do make it to the world cup, they will get crushed.

    And I agree with Granitza and TimN. Chile won’t play a full squad as they are safe. I’m thinking Ecuador is going to win that one.

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  19. The beautiful game indeed. I simply can’t imagine what it must have been like to be in that stadium in the last minutes of the game. The range of emotions must have been….mindblowing.

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  20. Palermo was offside. Argentina is very fortunate for that no-call.

    The still have a tough task to win on the road in Uruguay. Uruguay is playing at home to qualify, and are a solid team. Ecuador could also certainly beat Chile, as Chile has already qualified with no chance of winning CONMEBOL to potentially get a group seed. Chile has no reason to field a full strength squad and risk injury.

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  21. Argentina still stands a very real chance of missing out completely on 2010. If they lose in Uruguay (and Uruguay ned to win to qualify) and Ecuador can pull off a win in Chile (not unrealistic now that Chile is safe), Argentina stays home. That would be great for international parity.

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