Chile 0-0 Argentina
It was billed as the International Friendly: Chile vs Argentina, but the South American giants’ clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was anything but a fun one.
The MLS fans came to see an exhibition of football from two of the world’s biggest names, but they didn’t see any goals. Instead, they had to endure a stop-start game as they watched a foul every two and a half minutes, and a yellow card every nine.
It wasn’t what they hoped to see and — after the two coaches rested some big players, the second strings served up a scrappy mess of a game — though at least both managed to hit the woodwork.
If anyone, Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni can be the happier of the two coaches as his side carved out more chances, but that’s clutching at straws. And I guess they can both say they came away with a result.
Highlights of the game
Head coach Reinaldo Rueda had swung the axe on Chile’s old guard, leaving out his big hitters including Gary Medel and Arturo Vidal and at least he can say his new team can stick the boot in – managing an impressive 23 fouls!
Argentina was without Lionel Messi, who has been sidelined by injury at the start of Barcelona’s La Liga campaign. However, Scaloni still had a good smattering of talent in his side. New Spurs signing Giovani Lo Celso made a start, as did Juventus’ Paulo Dybala, who had the chance to stake a claim with Sergio Aguero also left at home.
But he didn’t.
With Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi skippering Argentina and controlling his defence, Chile didn’t have much of a sniff either. Even when Eduardo Vargas put in a second-half dead ball kick, Cesar Pinares swung his foot at it and hit the Argentina crossbar.
A mass of substitutions on both sides didn’t help the fluency of the game as passes continued to go astray.
Alexis Sanchez, trying to add to his 43 international goals, forced Agustin Marchesin into a good low save as he arrowed a shot from distance towards the bottom corner and, at the other end, Lautaro Matinez tried his best to test Claudio Bravo in the Chile goal and had a shot saved mid-way through the second half.
River Plate centre back Lucas Martinez Quarta came close with an effort early in the second half and he provided the most exciting moment of the game with five minutes remaining, as he rose to meet a corner and crashed his header against the crossbar.
Key statistics
Even though this was a friendly game neither team wanted to lose, they shared possession. Even if Argentina won the shot count by 13 to five, they only managed three on target to Chile’s two.
Neither team managed a passing accuracy of 75-per cent while the defences dominated, each with a tackling percentage of 84-per cent.
And it was a bad-tempered old game, with 40 fouls and ten yellow cards. Had it not been a friendly we might have seen a red or two.
The Albiceleste has dominated the head to head Chile vs Argentina results, winning 14 of the last 24 meetings to Chile’s five wins and this was the fifth draw.
Of course, the last time these two teams met was in an equally bad-tempered Copa America Third Place Play-off which Argentina won 2-1 and both Lionel Messi and Chile’s Gary Medel were sent off.
The pre-match Chile vs Argentina betting odds here at SBOBET had the Albiceleste as favourites at odds of 2.09, but the draw at 3.30 was confirmed after Martinez headed inches too high.
What’s next?
Next up, Chile takes a trip to Honduras in San Pedro Sula, a game La Roja should win against a side at 67th in the FIFA World Rankings. Rueda is determined to sweep a new broom through his team, in an attempt to move on from the Golden Generation which won back to back Copa America’s, but he’ll need time.
Scaloni already has plenty of talent in his side, but needs to find some consistency. Argentina has another good test coming up which will be at home to Mexico next Wednesday.
They may come across a potent striker in the shape of Javier Hernandez as the Mexico top scorer has recently moved to Sevilla after a stint at West Ham and he scores goals wherever he goes.
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