Argentina 1-0 Uruguay
An unlikely hero has emerged for Argentina as they got their first victory here in the Copa America.
Argentina and Uruguay added a new chapter to their age-old rivalry, and this time La Albiceleste came out on top thanks to a first-half goal from Guido Rodriguez.
With the victory, Argentina remain at first place in Group B and they are on the verge of clinching their spot in the quarterfinals, which is expected considering they’re dubbed as one of the favourites to win according to the Copa America 2021 odds.
Meanwhile, Uruguay join Bolivia — who have already lost two straight games — with zero points apiece.
This is a good development for Lionel Scaloni’s side given their over-reliance on Lionel Messi in their last few international fixtures. Overall, it was good attacking night for Argentina, who have gained some newfound confidence despite what the scoreline suggests.
Their defence should be commended too for staying firm despite the presence of La Celeste’s top strikers, especially during the late game to where they’ve had their troubles before.
Argentina can sleep well knowing that they didn’t blow a lead this time. And here at SBOTOP, we examine how they did it by looking at the latest set of Copa America 2021 highlights.
Highlights of the game
Argentina set the tempo right from the start as they’ve cause major problems for Uruguay by crafting numerous attacking chances.
Lionel Messi had the first real chance for La Albiceleste in the sixth minute when he cut in from the right flank to test Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Lautaro Martinez tried to shoot after the save but he was unable to get a decent look.
Moments later, Fernando Muslera was tested again when Cristian Romero rose above to meet Rodrigo De Paul’s cross with a header in the ninth minute.
As La Albiceleste pressed forward, they finally got their first goal in the 13th minute when Guido Rodriguez jumped over his defender to head one home after a volley by Lionel Messi from the left side.
During the 26th minute, Argentina almost grabbed a two-goal lead when they outpaced Uruguay at the back. However, Nahuel Molina’s rocket was blocked by Fernando Muslera.
Edinson Cavani produced one of Uruguay’s rare moments a minute later when he almost got a penalty call when he was tripped inside the box, but the referees rightfully waved it off upon checking the VAR.
Uruguay did much better in the second half. But despite having the lion’s share of the possession, they were unable to give Argentina any trouble.
Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani had their turns in trying to penetrate Argentina’s defence, but Lionel Scaloni’s side was too good to concede.
Matias Vina had a corner kick that was well-placed during the 69th minute. However, neither Suarez or Cavani made themselves available for the goal.
Luis Suarez tried his luck one more time when he went for the spectacular with an acrobatic bicycle kick during the 75th minute after a cross, but the ball went over the post.
Key statistics
Argentina had a night to remember against Uruguay despite the low-scoring game.
Despite having less possession at 45-per cent, La Albiceleste were the better attacking team since they had nine total shots with six of them on target compared to La Celeste’s four and zero.
Uruguay had to resort to fouling a lot since they had a difficult time containing Argentina, tallying 21 fouls compared to 11 by the hosts.
The result extended Argentina’s unbeaten run to 15 games, with their previous loss dating back to the 2019 Copa America semis against Brazil.
Kudos to Guido Rodriguez for stepping up when being called upon by Lionel Scaloni. The Real Betis midfielder made the most out of his first call-up into the starting XI since June 2019 by scoring his first goal in 11 international appearances.
Unbeknownst to many, the 27-year-old has been one of the pivotal players for Real Betis this season and he is currently being eyed by Arsenal in the transfer window to possibly replace Granit Xhaka, who is expected to leave the club.
What’s next?
The next set of Group B Copa America matches are scheduled on Monday night.
Argentina are set to take on the third-placed team in Paraguay at the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia while Uruguay face Chile at the Arena Pantanal in what will be a very important match for their campaign.
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