Argentina, Brazil out to widen gaps en route to South Africa

 Two-time world champions Argentina - the only team that has won their two games so far in the qualifiers - will face Bolivia Saturday in Buenos Aires, while Brazil - with one triumph and one draw - will play Peru one day later in Lima.

 Paraguay, another contemporary World Cup regular and also with one win and one draw, will host Ecuador in Asuncion Saturday, with Colombia-Venezuela on the same day. Uruguay complete the weekend fixture list when they play Chile on Sunday.

 Argentina will not be able to count on defender Gabriel Heinze, who was injured during training Thursday and is likely to be replaced by Nicolas Burdisso in the starting line-up.

 Juan Roman Riquelme - sidelined for months at Villarreal but key in the national team coached by Alfio Basile - suffered a flu this week, although it seemed likely that he would be fit for Saturday's game. The talented playmaker may play behind an impressive attack with Lionel Messi, Hernan Crespo and Carlos Tevez.

 Argentine players stressed the need not to be overconfident against Bolivia, a lowly team whose coach Erwin Sanchez has promised "a defensive spiderweb."

   "(Bolivia) has little to lose and a lot to win," said Burdisso.

 "We first have to win, then play well, and, if we can, score many goals. You cannot score the third goal if you haven't netted the first," Crespo agreed.

 Several Argentine players complained about the poor state of the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, which has recently been used for various crowded pop concerts and shows many holes.

 Brazilian coach Carlos Dunga gathered his team's stars in an attempt to build on the momentum of last month's 5-0 victory against Ecuador, which appeared to put the five-time world champion back on course after a lacklustre goalless draw in Colombia.

 "The logic of qualifiers is complex. We have very difficult games. We will suffer a lot, still," Dunga said after that triumph.

 Milan superstar Kaka agreed Thursday.

 "We cannot be rash and go all out in search of a goal, because we can be surprised if we act like that," the attacking midfielder said of the game against Peru. "We are going to attack, but patiently, to know the right moment to penetrate the Peruvian defence."

   Peru will need to take risks. The Andean side has failed to win and even to score in two qualifiers, with a defeat against Chile and a draw against Paraguay.

 "Peru will surely go out to seek the goal and we have to be intelligent to exploit that," said Gilberto Silva. "It will be a chess game."

   Brazil will have to wait till Sunday to know whether the talented though recently faded Ronaldinho is fit to play Peru, since the striker is recovering from an ankle injury.

 The qualifiers are set to continue next week, with the fourth round of games. Venezuela-Bolivia and Colombia-Argentina are scheduled for Tuesday, with Brazil-Uruguay, Ecuador-Peru and Chile- Paraguay on Wednesday.

 In the South American World Cup qualifiers, each of the 10 teams involved play all the others at home and away. The top four finishers win a place in the World Cup, with the fifth-place team facing a representative of the North, Central American and Caribbean region in a playoff.

DPA