RIO DE JANEIRO -- History was made in the Maracana stadium on Tuesday night, when Nicolas Otamendi's towering header from a corner gave Argentina a 1-0 win and, in the process, inflicted Brazil's first-ever defeat at home in World Cup qualification.
To make matters worse for the hosts, the last fortress fell in one of the worst games in Lionel Messi's 18-year international career. Argentina's captain looked well short of fitness, and he spent some of the first half receiving treatment on the touchline. The 36-year-old cut an unusually conservative, peripheral figure, dropping deep to lay off first-time passes before being substituted with 15 minutes remaining.