Amsterdam

[sq720]

By the mid-seventeenth century, Amsterdam had
built a new town hall so large that only St. Peter’s in
Rome, the Escorial in Spain, and the Palazza Ducale
in Venice could rival it for scale or magnificence.
(A) could rival it for
(B) were the rivals of it in their
(C) were its rival as to
(D) could be its rivals in their
(E) were rivaling its

Can someone please explain why C is incorrect and A is correct

[Claret]

(C) were its rival as to --- this construction is unidiomatic!

[rahulsaroha]

it should be rivals in"c"

[axat]

State the source. I don't think A is correct. 'rival for' in incorrect idiomatic usage, 'rival in' in correct.

This is one those classic examples of questions that are too obtuse and whose answers are too subjective to be on the GMAT. Waste of time!