SOUTH AMERICAN GROUP Argentina 2 Peru 1:DIEGO MARADONA hailed Martin Palermo as a "miracle maker" after the veteran striker's last-gasp goal against Peru in Buenos Aires on Saturday night gave Argentina renewed hope of qualifying directly for next year's World Cup finals.
Argentina were on the brink after Hernan Rengifo’s last-minute header cancelled out Gonzalo Higuain’s strike. But as terrible conditions persisted, Palermo – restored to the side after 10 years – grabbed an injury-time goal to put Argentina in the all-important fourth place in the South American qualifying zone with one game left to play.
“Martin Palermo has saved us and our chances of qualifying are intact,” Maradona said. “When the wind and rain and cold began and allowed Peru to draw level, we could not do anything, but the miracle of Palermo has given us a longer life.”
Maradona had been under huge pressure after an unimpressive qualifying performance left his team on the verge of facing a play-off to reach South Africa. But they will now face Uruguay, a point behind Argentina in fifth, on Wednesday in a make-or-break game. The circumstances, combined with his own long absence, made the goal all the more special for Palermo.
“It was incomparable, because it was for the national team at a time like this,” the striker said.“I don’t know if it was fate, but I thank God for this triumph.”
Palermo tapped home at the far post in driving rain to send his coach diving across the sodden turf on his stomach in celebration.
Rengifo had headed an equaliser for Peru in the 90th minute to cancel out debutant Gonzalo Higuain’s opener early in the second half.
Argentina went into the match having lost their last three qualifiers to Paraguay, Brazil and Ecuador, but if ever there was a chance to restore some confidence in the side this was it – a home match against the team bottom of the group. And they did everything but score in a first half they dominated from start to finish.
Higuain missed the best chance of the half when he was picked out by Angel Di Maria and contrived to shoot over from six yards with the goal gaping.
Lionel Messi was starting to pull the strings in the final third, one glorious drop of the shoulder and drag back leaving Rainer Torres on the seat of his shorts.
On the half-hour mark the Barcelona man sent in a cross from the right from which Pablo Aimar looked to score with an audacious backheel, but he did not get a strong enough contact and the ball went wide.
Argentina, though, took the lead in the 47th minute, Aimar stabbing a pass through into the right of the area, which Higuain ran on to and slotted into the far corner.
Moments after goalkeeper Sergio Romero had made a superb point-blank save, Rengifo nodded home a cross from the left from barely two yards to bring Peru level. But just as Argentina’s World Cup dreams looked to be slipping away, Palermo came up trumps for his under-fire boss.
With no fewer than eight Argentinian players in a packed Peru penalty area, the Boca Juniors striker found himself in the right place at the right time to convert the easiest of chances after a low ball across the box.
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