The match at the Zorros del Desierto de Calama stadium, located in the northern trans-Andean desert at 2,260 meters above sea level, was played in a rarefied climate due to criticism from Argentine soccer players of the treatment they received upon arrival in Chile. and the response of the fans with whistles to the National Anthem and a very harsh procedure on the field of play.
Without the presence of Messi, it was Ángel Di María, who wore the captain’s ribbon, who was in charge of making the Albiceleste celebrate: nine minutes into the first half he led a counterattack, hooked between three rivals and hit a left footed shot that nailed the ball against Claudio Bravo’s right post, which he could do nothing.
The Chilean cast managed to tie it over 20 in the first half, when a past center found the head of the nationalized Englishman Ben Brereton, who headed pumped to the far post, after beating Nahuel Molina.
34 minutes into the first stage, Rodrigo De Paul was the one who managed the counterattack, he proved from mid-distance that the goalkeeper Claudio Bravo rejected towards the middle and Lautaro Martínez took the opportunity to put things 2 to 1.
The first half, which had several clashes and a lot of work for referee Daronco (who admonished Otamendi, De Paul and Paredes who were suspended due to accumulation of yellow cards), also showed Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez in the albiceleste goal, to reject great way a shot by Paulo Díaz.
In the complement, the Argentine National Team definitively planted itself in its field to take care of its legs between the deployment and the height, betting on the counterattack but also ironing the process of the match. In fact, there was no concrete chance of scoring until 38 minutes, when Brereton beat Molina again and demanded “Dibu” Martínez, who responded correctly.
The victory allowed the Albiceleste National Team to extend its undefeated record to 28 games, which is the longest currently, while it reduced the difference with Brazil, which tied with Ecuador in Quito and ended up with 36 units, four from Argentina and waiting for FIFA’s resolution of the suspended classic in San Pablo.
Chile, for its part, stayed on 16 points, one behind Peru and Colombia -they face each other this Friday-, and three behind Uruguay, which after beating Paraguay was in fourth place, the last one in direct classification to Qatar.
Argentina will return directly to Buenos Aires in the early hours of the morning to seclude themselves again at the AFA site in Ezeiza and prepare for the duel against Colombia, next Tuesday at the “Mario Alberto Kempes” stadium in Córdoba.
Source From: Ambito
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