There were sighs of relief about the end in Venezuela.
Javier Mascherano's Under 23 Team lost in the debut of the Pre-Olympic, which grants two places for the Paris 2024 Games, against Paraguay.
He didn't deserve it, and justice came in agonizing fashion with Gondou's 1-1 scoreline.
This Wednesday will be the second match in Zone B, against Peru, which in the first match of the day beat Chile 1-0.
To what Mascherano was accustomed to with his approaches in the Argentine youth teams, the presentation against the Guaraní team was somewhat different.
The thing is that in the move we saw a team a little longer than in their previous presentations, mostly in the Sub 20. He did not leave aside the attempt at the associated game, of course.
But on several occasions his boys resorted to jumping lines to have a direct search with their net forwards, Pablo Solari and Santiago Castro.
Castro, in fact, had the only danger in the entire first half, which was born from a very nice triangulation with Thiago Almada and Valentín Barco.
El Colo sent it to the area, Almada took a back pass and Castro hit it on the run.
The ball went just past the right post of Angel González, the Paraguayan goalkeeper.
The best drives were from the World Champion, Almada.
However, he lacked connection with Cristian Medina and Ezequiel Fernández, the Albicelestes internal midfielders.
Argentina's control was absolute in the first section of the initial stage.
Pressure, intensity and, also, climbs on the sides.
Although he could not take advantage of that supremacy.
There were good attempts, but they always ended in offside positions.
SANTI CASTRO HAD IT!
🇦🇷 With pure mobility, Argentina approaches the Paraguayan goal at the start of the match.
🎙️ @giraltpablo - @JPVarsky#PreolímpicoEnDSPORTS |
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— DSports (@DSports) January 21, 2024
In return, Paraguay managed to get the ball close to Leandro Brey's goal with very little effort on a couple of occasions.
Both times, the same protagonist: Diego Gómez.
First it was a tight corner kick and low, Medina botched the rebound at the near post and Brey, purely on reflex, took out that burning ball.
And then, Gómez tried with a shot from outside that the light blue and white goalkeeper controlled without problems.
BREY, PURE REFLECTION!
❌ The ball hit Medina badly, who couldn't reject it, and the Argentine goalkeeper prevented Paraguay from scoring.
🎙️ @giraltpablo - @JPVarsky#PreolímpicoEnDSPORTS |
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— DSports (@DSports) January 21, 2024
One of Mascherano's concerns was to try to contain the counterattacks that the red-and-white team was going to resort to.
Even so, the Guaraníes managed to step into the Argentine area from time to time.
The same thing happened in the second half and Brey had to cover a one-on-one with Marcelo Pérez, Huracán's forward.
Viera's header went wide after a good team play.
🇦🇷🇵🇾 Argentina and Paraguay equal 0-0 at the Misael Delgado stadium.
🎙️@giraltpablo - @JPVarsky#PreolímpicoEnDSPORTS |
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— DSports (@DSports) January 21, 2024
Argentina, likewise, continued with its dominance, but without so much offensive weight.
A cross shot by Colo Barco after an overflow from Solari on the right revived the attack of Masche's team.
Barco, they are raised on the left lane (he played as a winger in that sector) was always an important piece to generate danger.
The National Team could also have broken the zero with a dead ball.
A free kick from Thiago Almada found the forehead of Nicolás Valentini, but González was attentive not to take his eyes off that difficult ball.
It was warned above: Paraguay, with little, arrived and bothered, perhaps more than Argentina with greater dominance did.
In a second play of a free kick in favor, Carlos Jara's team earned a penalty.
Valentini ran over Leonardo Rivas and the Brazilian referee, Flavio Rodrigues de Souza did not hesitate.
Diego Gómez, Messi's teammate at Inter Miami, hit him violently and gave Brey no chance, even though he guessed the club (right).
This is Nicolás Valentini's penalty taken by Brazilian Rodrigues de Souza.
Opinions?
🧐
🎙️@giraltpablo - @JPVarsky#PreolímpicoEnDSPORTS |
#CONMEBOLPreolympic pic.twitter.com/rWquEi6HTJ
— DSports (@DSports) January 22, 2024
PARAGUAY GOAL!
⚽️🇵🇾 Diego Gómez, Lionel Messi's teammate at Inter Miami, scored a penalty to make it 1-0 against Argentina in Valencia.
🎙️@giraltpablo - @JPVarsky#PreolímpicoEnDSPORTS |
#CONMEBOLPreolympic pic.twitter.com/i2PsOWiN3Y
— DSports (@DSports) January 22, 2024
Just there, after half the complement, Mascherano sent Claudio Echeverri and Federico Redondo onto the field, two of the team's greatest assets, who were on the bench.
El
Diablito
, intermittently, sought to dialogue with
Barco
, the most active of all.
And in the end, the Argentine coach left three defenders to charge for the tie.
GOOD CHANCE FOR ARGENTINA
⚽️🇦🇷 El Colo Barco received from Solari, but his shot went wide.
At the start of the second half, the duel against Paraguay remains 0-0.
🎙️@giraltpablo - @JPVarsky#PreolímpicoEnDSPORTS |
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— DSports (@DSports) January 22, 2024
Luciano Gondou came on with four minutes remaining, but defeat seemed inevitable.
Until Gondou himself scored the equalizer in time after a great play by Echeverri and a low cross by Luis Baltasar Rodríguez.
GOAL FROM ARGENTINA!
⚽️🇦🇷 Luciano Gondou and his sense of 9 for the 1-1 against Paraguay on the hour.
🎙️@giraltpablo - @JPVarsky#PreolímpicoEnDSPORTS |
#CONMEBOLPreolympic pic.twitter.com/4gg6TeFhlN
— DSports (@DSports) January 22, 2024
Echeverri and Colo Barco got together 🤩
🇦🇷 Good play by Argentina, which is looking for a tie against Paraguay at the Misael Delgado stadium.
🎙️@giraltpablo - @JPVarsky#PreolímpicoEnDSPORTS |
#CONMEBOLPreolympic pic.twitter.com/ONQPxFWvPx
— DSports (@DSports) January 22, 2024
Valencia, Venezuela. Special.