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By Brian Homewood
BUENOS AIRES, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Carlos Tevez and his former Manchester United team mate Gabriel Heinze were both in the doghouse on Sunday after a comedy of errors in the first half of Argentina's 1-1 draw at home to Paraguay.
Tevez, sent off in the first half for the second time in three internationals, is automatically suspended for Wednesday's visit to Peru after being booked and then receiving a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Dario Veron.
He could find himself out of the team for longer after Sergio Aguero, his direct rival for a place in the attack, came off the bench to score Argentina's equaliser in the World Cup qualifier.
Heinze, who has never been a unanimous choice to play on the left side of the defence, was taken off at halftime after scoring an own goal in the 13th minute and injuring goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri in the process.
"It was my mistake and I admit it, I take all the responsibility," Heinze told Argentine media after he misjudged a long ball into his penalty area and headed it past Abbondanzieri.
"I don't know what happens next. I'm here and it's up to the coach to decide. He will know why he took me off.
"I know it's a cliche but football always gives you another chance."
PETULANT KICK
His future, however, looks brighter than that of Tevez, who had only just been given another chance by coach Alfio Basile after being sent off for petulantly kicking an opponent in the 2-1 defeat by Colombia in November.
Tevez, who slunk out of the Monumental stadium without commenting, completed a one-match suspension against Ecuador in June but Basile decided not to call him up for the game against Brazil.
Tevez, who played in last month's friendly against Belarus, has yet to score in the qualifiers while Atletico Madrid's Aguero, who helped the under-23 team win the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing last month, has already notched two.
Although Argentina are second in the 10-team South American qualifying group with 12 points from seven games and well on course for South Africa in 2010, they have drawn their last three games and lost the match previous to that.
Critics are increasingly worried about why such a gifted team are performing only in fits and starts.
Fingers are again being pointed at playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, who struggled to break free of Paraguay's fierce marking and often looked pedestrian, although he also hit the crossbar from a free kick and was involved in the equaliser.
Removing Riquelme, whose inconsistency appears to reflect on the whole team, is likely to be the last option for Basile, a self-confessed admirer of the mercurial midfielder.
Asked before the game to analyse Riquelme's ups and downs, Basile declined to go into details. "I like Riquelme, that's the end of the matter," he said.
