SAO PAULO, June 19: Argentina beat Uruguay 1-0 on Friday in its second match at Copa America, making Lionel Messi’s team co-leaders of Group A with Chile with four points each.
Midfielder Guido Rodriguez scored the only goal at the Mané Garrincha stadium in Brasilia with a header in the 13th minute after Messi crossed from the left. The ball hit goalkeeper Fernando Muslera’s right post before going in.
In another match, Chile beat Bolivia 1-0 on a goal by English-Chilean striker Ben Brereton.
Seeking some defensive solidity, Argentina changed nearly all of back four after the 1-1 draw with Chile. Right-back Gonzalo Montiel, defender Lucas Martínez Quarta and left-back Nicolás Tagliafico were replaced by Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero and Marcos Acuña, respectively. Nicolás Otamendi was the only defender who remained. Rodriguez replaced injured Leandro Paredes.
Argentina controlled nearly all of the game against an Uruguayan team that included the powerful offensive duo of Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani.
Argentina midfielder Rodrigo de Paul said his team deserved to finally win. It had not won since November 2020.
Coach Oscar Tabárez has not seen his team win in four matches. He said in a press conference that Uruguay did not have many opportunities against Argentina, but still has a good chance to advance to the knockout stage in the next three matches.
Argentina’s next match will be against Paraguay on Monday, the same day that Uruguay will play its second match in the tournament against Chile.
A victory against Uruguay could move Argentina into first place in its group and avoid an early knockout-stage meeting with defending champion Brazil, which is in Group B. The result also provided some relief for Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who was criticized after his team’s opening 1-1 draw against Chile on Monday.
On a day many football fans expected Harry Kane to shine at the European Championship, it was an Englishman playing for Chile at Copa America who managed to put the ball into the back of the net.
Born in Stoke, 22-year-old Ben Brereton scored Chile’s goal in a 1-0 win over Bolivia on Friday. He plays for Blackburn Rovers, which competes in the Championship. His mother is Chilean.
Kane and his English team frustrated fans with a goalless draw against Scotland hours earlier. Chile now leads group A with four points after two matches.
Brereton scored in the 10th minute after a Chilean counter, assisted by Eduardo Vargas. The English-Chilean striker looked at the skies and put his hands on his head in disbelief after scoring.
He could have gotten a second goal not long after with a header, but was stopped by goalkeeper Carlos Lampe, the man of the match with several saves. Brereton was substituted at halftime.
Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano officiated the match due to an exchange between South American soccer body CONMEBOL and its European counterpart UEFA.
Earlier on Friday, CONMEBOL suspended Bolivia’s top scorer, Marcelo Martins, for one match for his criticism of Copa America organizers. He was also fined $20,000.
Chile will play Uruguay on Monday. Bolivia’s next match will be on Thursday, also against Uruguay.
The top four teams of each group will advance to the knockout stage. (AP)
