Uruguay celebrated against an Argentina that missed Messi

Uruguay He took advantage of everything. He took advantage of a candy box cold, with depopulated stands due to abusive ticket prices, and also a Argentina in renewal that begins to go through the post-Messi era and that surprised Leo, as he imagined. The Celeste of Diego ForlanIn addition, he exploited the start of the second half out of pure opportunism and with some chance to reach a two-goal difference and then knew how to sustain it.

Argentina gave away time, without depth, and reacted only after the Uruguayan goals. There emerged some healthy signals triggered by Nico Paz and Matías Soulétwo symbols of renewal, but they were not enough to achieve equality or to hide the nostalgia for the captain who decided to retire from the National Team. Ultimately, the team Lionel Scaloni felt the absence of Messi. What was supposed. Although there is material to get excited about, the transition of the inheritance of genius will not be easy. It’s nothing to worry about, but it’s worth a warning.

So Uruguay came away with a 2-1 victory in the first Rio de la Plata classic after Messirepeating the end of the duel of the last Qualifiers in that same stadium, when he also won with Marcelo Bielsa as DT. sure to stop Forlan This victory represents a great dose of tranquility at the beginning of his cycle as a celestial coach.

Argentina They also lost an undefeated 30 friendly matches, which included victories in the last 22, although it is a relative statistic because most of the rivals they faced were third or fourth in the world. Surely Scaloni will work to configure the new Argentina and so that this defeat does not reduce confidence in the future. On Tuesday, against Costa RicaIn the second friendly, we will see how the albiceleste reacts.

Almost nothing happened in the first half. Argentina It did not go beyond neat possession and a search without depth. Uruguayled by Ronald Araújo and with Frederick Valverde As a substitute, he almost never managed to put himself together from the middle up.

In that initial stage there was only one chance of scoring: a right hand from Julian Alvarez in a run that the archer Christopher Fiermarin saved with a big slap down. And nothing more.

Argentina tried to find more depth at the start of the second half with the entry of Matías Soulé for Exequiel Palacios and put together a 4-1-4-1. So Soulé, Nico Paz, Alexis Mac Allister and Thiago Almada They were behind Julián Álvarez.

However, there was no room for Argentina to accommodate that idea. Uruguay hit twice before the 10th minute. They did it quite fortunately and in two plays with stopped balls.

First, insurance Ronald Araújo he combed a free kick and Lisandro Martínez He cleared, but the ball hit Leonardo Balerdi’s body and went in. And the second one shouted it Maximiliano Araújo“heading” a corner with his back and nailing it over Geronimo Rulliwho had covered up a heads-up against Darwin Núñez.

That’s when the game really got going. Argentina went with everything for the discount and Uruguay he felt comfortable with the counterattack and with an unstoppable Darwin Nunezwho made suffer Balerdi in every run.

Nico Paz came close with a one-on-one that was blocked by Fiermarin, after a great play by Souléwho came in very well. Argentina continued to insist, until Julian Alvarez defined by putting it against a stick, after an assist from Gianluca Prestiannianother with a healthy income.

There were 20 minutes left. There was time for Argentina with his reaction he reached the tie, but he did not generate clear situations again despite surrounding Uruguaywho endured and ended up celebrating in the candy boxin the first Rio de la Plata classic after Messi.