El Salvador
was far from being a good fit for the
Argentine National Team,
world champion in Qatar 2022. However, the games must be played and
Lionel Scaloni
's team was superior from end to end at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Without
Lionel Messi
, out due to injury, the best of the night was another Rosario native,
Giovani Lo Celso
, who pulled the strings of the team from midfield and had the luxury of crowning the win with a nice finish.
It was a match, as said, without major demands.
The only one who could have been left in debt was
Nicolás González
, who did not show his usual explosion.
He will not cost the Fiorentina man, who missed the World Cup at the last minute, but he has all the credit in the world for the coaching staff.
Below is
Clarín
's bulletin after the win in Philadelphia.
Emiliano Martínez (6):
The Aston Villa man, who sported three stars in his new haircut, had no job.
He barely picked up a center in the first half and got bored, since he did not even have a part in the only goal to reach the goal of the Salvadorans, which was providentially saved by Cristian Romero
Nehuén Pérez(6):
He started as a winger and finished as a center back, his natural position.
Without demands on the brand, the boy from Udinese adds actions as an alternative to the losses that are repeated in the defense of the world champion team.
Cristian Romero (6):
Cuti is a leader no matter who is in front of him.
He won from above and made it 1-0 with a header.
In defense he repelled one of El Salvador's few deep attacks.
It was the only moment of urgency for the Tottenham man.
Nicolás Tagliafico (6):
He played as a second center back in a flexible defense, but in the second half he returned to his usual position as a left side marker.
He sure with the ball.
The former Banfield and Independiente always responds.
Rodrigo De Paul (6):
The Atlético de Madrid man handled the ball a lot and did it with precision against a team that was not an opposition until the last 25 meters.
Another one who puts on the light blue and white and automatically goes up a level.
Leandro Paredes (6):
His thing was in the first passes, where he was neat.
He had no work at a defensive level and tried several times from long distance to break the double wall that El Salvador put in front of goalkeeper Mario González.
Enzo Fernández (6):
He played the first half and took advantage of it to make it 2-0.
Dynamics, change of pace and arrival.
All this was shown in the 45 minutes that the Chelsea man had of action.
Giovani Lo Celso (7):
With the usual quality, precise in the passes and reaching 3-0.
He once again becomes an essential player for the National Team.
Without Messi's presence, he was the team's puppet master.
Nicolás González (5):
He played floating between being a winger without brand obligations and a midfielder with arrival, but he failed to go deep.
It was not the best night for the Fiorentina man, who always provides solutions to Scaloni.
Ángel Di María (6):
This time as captain, he participated a lot in the circulation, always from the right.
He was the generator of the first goal: he took a corner that fell on the edge of the six-yard box onto Cuti Romero's forehead.
Lautaro Martínez (6):
He hasn't scored in 16 matches for the National Team but he didn't seem obsessed.
Very good goal pass for 3-0.
Alejandro Garnacho (6):
He played the entire second half, wide open on the left.
He overshot several times, but lacked precision in the last touch.
Nicolás Otamendi (6):
He also entered to play the second stage.
He was a mere spectator of a rival who never attacked.
Valentin Barco (6):
Colo made his debut in the National Team.
He seemed restrained at first, but then he moved forward a few meters and actively participated in the Scaloneta game circuit.
Facundo Buonanotte (5):
The Brighton boy, in his second appearance in the Major, played 26 minutes, but with Di María very close he did not find his place.