Lionel Messi entered the field at the start of the second half but did not make much of an impression, while his close friend Ángel Di María scored the only goal in Argentina’s 1-0 friendly victory over Ecuador.
*Marked: Di María 40′.
At Soldier Field, United States, on the morning of June 10 (Hanoi time), coach Lionel Scaloni sat Messi on the bench. The three main players of the Argentine attack are Ángel Di María, Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez. Other positions also have many disturbances compared to the main squad that won the 2022 World Cup. Leandro Paredes – Giovani Lo Celso replace the Enzo Fernández – Alexis Mac Allister pairing in midfield, while Lisandro Martínez replaces Nicolás Otamendi in the central defense position .
Di María and Álvarez soon put pressure on goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez’s goal. Meanwhile, Ecuador sits proactively and is willing to make mistakes. In the 11th minute, Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo received a yellow card for an illegal challenge on Lautaro Martínez.
In the 26th minute, Argentina had the first opportunity to score. The Ecuadorian defense failed to clear Di María’s free kick inside the penalty area. Then Lautaro Martínez fired a volley but Galíndez saved.
In the following minutes, Argentna continued to press the court. Ecuador only controlled the ball 35% and concentrated defensively. In the 40th minute, the reigning world champion scored the decisive goal. Central defender Cristian Romero received the ball from De Paul, paused for a moment and then passed it to the right edge of the area. Di María then lunged and stuck his left foot into the far corner to beat Galíndez.
The Benfica Club winger scored his 31st goal with Argentina. Di María equaled Gonzalo Higuaín’s achievement and was only three goals behind the legendary Diego Maradona. Messi still holds the team’s scoring record with 106 goals.
Four minutes after the first goal, Di María almost completed the double. He took a free kick directly outside the penalty area, but the ball hit the wooden frame.
The game was a little less exciting after the break. Both teams actively avoided clashes with the aim of preserving the Copa América. In the 56th minute, Messi replaced Di María. Four minutes later, the Argentine captain helped Enzo Fernández to run and face the goalkeeper. However, Galíndez was able to step forward to save Ecuador.
The team currently ranked 31st in FIFA had to wait until the 74th minute to have an important opportunity. Franeco caught the ball on the throw-in, then ran into the box and shot low. However, goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez solved the problem easily.
Towards the end, the two teams did not have any more notable situations. Argentina won the first friendly match in June. Messi and his teammates also played a friendly match with Guatemala on June 15, before playing three Copa América Group A matches with Canada on June 21, Chile on June 26 and Peru on June 21. .
