This Tuesday, from 7:30 pm (Peruvian time), the Copa América semi-final between Brazil and Argentina will take place. The two historically most powerful teams in South America are looking for a new continental title.
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This is a clash loaded with controversies, emotions, and a huge rivalry between two of the three World Cup champions in South America, who have given football great players and many stories. The ESPN Brazil portal tried to describe the rivalry between Argentina and Brazil in five controversial reasons.
1. Pelé or Maradona? (Now also Messi)
The eternal discussion that has not been resolved until now: Who is the best player in the world? For the Brazilians, it is Pelé with his three World Cup titles and over a thousand goals scored. For the Argentinians, it is Diego Maradona with the Mexico 1986 title, but in recent times Lionel Messi has emerged with his five Ballon d'Or awards, although he has been overshadowed for not having won anything (yet) with the national team.
2. The Battle of Rosario and other fights
One of the most memorable clashes between Brazil and Argentina was the one that took place in Rosario during the 1978 Argentina World Cup. A goalless draw, full of fouls, which was called the 'Battle of Rosario', and described football as "the big loser".
This situation had already occurred before, in the 1973 Copa América, when in the Gasómetro stadium in Argentina, the Brazilian Carnera made a strong tackle against the Argentine Francisco Varallo, causing a brawl that stopped the match for 43 minutes. Nine years later, at the Monumental stadium in Núñez during the final of the 1982 Copa América, Jair Rosa Pinto broke the leg of the Argentine defender José Salomón. The Brazilian was nicknamed "The Bomb Leg".
3. Suspicions about Argentina 6-0 Peru
One of the biggest controversies is the alleged political arrangement between Argentina and Peru, which resulted in a 6-0 victory for Argentina and the elimination of Brazil from the 1978 Argentina World Cup. The Albiceleste played knowing that they needed a four-goal difference and scored six. This controversy, until a few years ago, reopened wounds in the players of the Peruvian national team from back then.
4. The 'holy water' of Turin
In the round of 16 of the 1990 Italy World Cup, a new edition of Argentina vs. Brazil took place, and the victory went to Argentina with a 1-0 score thanks to a goal by Claudio Paul Caniggia. The controversy arose afterwards when Branco claimed to have felt ill after drinking water given to him by the masseur of the Argentine national team. Diego Maradona confessed years later that the liquid contained sedatives, and sharing it with the opponents had been an order from Carlos Salvador Bilardo, the coach of the Albiceleste at that time.
5. Tulio's handball
In the quarterfinals of the 1995 Copa América, Brazil eliminated Argentina with a controversial goal by Túlio Maravilha, who touched the ball with his hand despite the protests of all the Albiceleste players. "They cannot complain about the goal that Maradona scored (1986). With him, it was the Hand of God, while I did the Hand of the Virgin Mary," said the forward about that controversial play.