The defending champion Argentina solved the absence of Lionel Messi and completed a perfect group stage in the America Cup by beating Saturday night 2-0 to Peru.
Lautaro scored twice in the second half with a pair of shots in which he chipped the ball over Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
After a nice combination of passes between Giovani Lo Celso and Angel Di Maria, the “Toro” lifted the ball past Gallese. And he sealed the win shortly before the end after getting behind defender Aldo Corzo, once again diving over Gallese.
The Inter Milan striker reached four goals in the continental tournament after having scored in the victories against Canada (2-0) and Chile (1-0).
“The first half was difficult for us. In the second half the goal opened right away and then we worked on it calmly,” she said.
Argentina secured first place in Group A with a minimum of nine points and will play its quarter-final match next Thursday in Houston against the second-placed team in Group B, between Venezuela, Ecuador or Mexico.
Canada, which tied 0-0 with Chile in a simultaneous match, was second with four points.
After his first goal, Lautaro ran to the side to hug Messi.
“I went to hug Leo for everything he means to us,” Lautaro said.
ABSENCES AND CHANGES
The Argentine captain did not play due to muscle discomfort in his right leg and watched the match from the substitutes’ bench.
Messi’s name appeared on the official match sheet, but it was decided to preserve the star for the direct elimination phase in a tournament in which Argentina hopes to retain the continental crown amidst the World Cup star it achieved in Qatar 2022.
Argentina was also without coach Lionel Scaloni, who was suspended for one match due to repeated delays in entering the field during the resumption of their previous two matches.
With Walter Samuel as the manager on the bench, Argentina presented several new features in the starting eleven. Alejandro Garnacho accompanied Di María and Lautaro in the attack, Exequiel Palacios, Leandro Paredes and Lo Celso appeared in the middle and Nicolás Otamendi and Germán Pezzella were the center backs.
“Leo’s situation is improving, but it is premature to talk,” Samuel said at the press conference. “We want to hear from him day by day.”
A SAD PERU
Peru, which is in last place in the South American qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, had a poor campaign in the United States. After reaching the final in the 2019 edition and then the semi-finals in 2021, the Peruvian team failed to score a single goal for the first time in its history in the tournament and was eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 1995 after collecting one point.
Coach Jorge Fossati had to make a forced change before kick-off. Right winger Andy Polo was injured during the warm-up and was replaced by Oliver Sonne, the son of Danes and a Peruvian grandmother who only became a Peruvian citizen this year.
“Today’s production was the weakest of the three games,” Fossati said. “We couldn’t develop our game.”
LAUTARO GOAL SCORE
With his four goals, Lautaro reached the top of the tournament’s scoring charts. Uruguayans Darwin Núñez and Maximiliano Araujo, Brazilian Vinicius Júnior and American Folarin Balogun follow him with two goals each.
“Every time I wear this shirt I enjoy it. “Many want to wear this shirt,” Lautaro said. “I work to show the coach that I am ready to play when he needs me.”
It all started with Argentina’s dominance and pressure, but the Albiceleste had a hard time penetrating their rival’s defense, which for a good part of the match retreated back and did not give them any major scares.
After Argentina’s first goal, Nicolás Tagliafico scored from a corner, but the referee ruled it out for an alleged foul by Lo Celso. Shortly after, Leandro Paredes missed a penalty kick by kicking it against the left post.
Peru, meanwhile, had one of its first chances midway through the second half, when Marcos López tried a shot that goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez deflected to the corner. Then, in one of its few dangerous plays, Franco Zanalatto headed in at Martínez’s right post.
The match at Hard Rock Stadium was played in front of some 64,000 spectators, the vast majority of whom were Argentine fans who were clamoring for Messi to be there, after he suffered a contracture in his right thigh in the match against Chile.
“There are guys who haven’t been playing in a while and the truth is that they showed that we have a team to fight for,” highlighted “Dibu” Martínez. “And now to wait for the quarterfinals. Let whoever comes come.”
Source: AP
