Argentina National Football Team
Argentina, La Albiceleste, came away with a dominating 3-0 win over Chile in their World Cup Qualifying match on Thursday night behind great performances from Julian Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister. This was Argentina’s first match since winning Copa America, and they didn’t show any hangover effects as they dominated the game in the absence of Lionel Messi.
The match kicked off on an emotional note as Argentina, after the Copa America win, bid a farewell to international duty for Angel Di Maria. With his family around him, a teary-eyed Di Maria gave a speech to the sold-out crowd that lit up the stadium with their cell phones. That set the stage for an unforgettable performance from Argentina.
Despite the first half ending goalless, Argentina started the second half on fire. Only three minutes into the second half, Argentina’s breakthrough came through Mac Allister, with an assist from Julian Alvarez to put them ahead 1-0. Of course, it was the Liverpool midfielder who paved the way, but Alvarez proved to be the real showstopper.
The striker was at the helm of their attack, really confident. In the 84th minute, in came Alvarez, a brilliant turn at the top of the box, really difficult in a poacher’s shot, hitting the bar and finding the back of the net as Argentina doubled the lead.
Paulo Dybala added a third goal in stoppage time, coming off the bench to score with a stunning strike. The win keeps Argentina atop the CONMEBOL standings in World Cup Qualifying, with 18 points out of a possible 21. They now have a five-point lead over second-placed Uruguay, with Colombia just a point behind in third.
Player Ratings:
- Julian Alvarez: 9/10 – Man of the Match performance. Full of energy and decisive in attack, topped off with a brilliant goal.
- Alexis Mac Allister: 8/10 – Scored the opening goal and dictated proceedings from midfield with calmness.
- Paulo Dybala: 7.5/10 – Came off the bench to score a beautiful goal, adding gloss to Argentina’s dominance.
- Angel Di Maria: N/A – An emotional farewell to the Argentine legend before the match.
Up Next
Argentina travels to Barranquilla on Tuesday to face Colombia, wanting to increase their lead at the top of the log.
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Jawad Shah