Full time:
The referee blew the whistle in the 89th minute. There was no injury time added as it is only a friendly game but it is surprising that the officials ended it before the stipulated time. Argentina just passed the ball around and comfortably defended their lead in the last 20 minutes of the game. Venezuelans tried to take the ball but there were no rash challenges or untoward incidents to mar the game.
75 minutes:
Nicolas Otamendi's goal has breathed life in the game. The Venezuelans are trying to get further up on the pitch to give themselves a chance for the equaliser. But, they will have to be more convincing with the ball if they are comeback into the game. Meanwhile, Argentina have replaced Real Madrid’s Higuain with Sergio Aguero.
Otamendi scored from a header at the near post. Skipper Messi delivered a swinging delivery from the corner for the centre-back, who found himself unmarked and kept his header down. This was the defender’s first career goal for the national side in 12 games.
The match seems to be heading towards the goalless draw with every passing minute. The Venezuela defence is holding strong, shifting well while Argentina attempt to change the field. After the halftime break, Venezuelans had one good chance when Gonzalez hit a solid shot that flies by the post. Romero was there to stop it had it been on goal.
Half time:
It’s half time and the last 15 minutes produced some exhilarating action but not goals. Venezuela produced a couple of excellent chances on the counter attack but Gonzalez and Rondon were not able to finish of their moves. Messi proves to look class apart because of his dribbling but is yet to produce anything memorable. Hopefully the next half will see the goalkeepers picking the ball out of the net
30 minutes:
Argentina surely have the upper hand now in the game although not on the score board. Messi is showing his magic and beating defenders for fun but the Venezuelan goalie Rafael is keeping him out. Angel Di Maria and Higuain have had free shots but have blazed wide.
The underdogs are trying to hit Argentina on the counter and had a few breaks but were unsuccessful in finding a shock lead.
15 minutes:
Venezuela are slowly but surely growing in confidence. Argentina dominated the early exchanges with Messi mesmerising the defenders and even penetrating the box on one occasion but the possession did not translate into a goal. The underdogs Venezuela are now pressing higher up the pitch and making sure the ball remains in the midfield. The passing and the challenges have been clean so far in true friendly fashion.
Earlier:
The Salt Stadium, packed with football aficionados, gave a deafening roar as Argentina kicked-off their friendly against their Latin American rivals Venezuela. They were waiting for all the formalities such as introduction to dignitaries and the national anthem to get out of the way. Argentina have fielded a strong starting line-up with Javier Mascherano, Pablo Zabaleta and, of course, Lionel Messi in the XI. It will be interesting to see whether Venezuela chose to attack their star-studded opponents or sit back and soak up the pressure.
The West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan and other dignitaries like AIFF President Praful Patel met the two teams. The two teams are out in the ground with the national anthems being played.
No comments:
Post a Comment