[ad_1]
Argentina closed out the World Cup live fixture with a 1-0 win over Uruguay on Friday, while Lionel Messi is recovering from an injury to his left knee despite not being present in most matches.
Veteran winger Angel di Maria scored the only goal in the seventh minute with a powerful left-footed shot from the right corner of the penalty area. Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera did not come close to stopping the ball.
Second-placed Argentina now has 28 points in 12 games. The top four teams in South America get direct access to the World Cup. The fifth-place finisher will enter a cross-continent playoff next year in Qatar.
Argentina was less dominant in Montevideo compared to the last qualifying matches. Messi came in only in the middle of the second half, but made no impression on the match.
Salah’s Egypt to the World Cup qualifiers
Uruguay had better chances in the second half, but largely missed the goal. Several local players lost the match due to injuries, including defenders Sebastián Cáceres, Sebastián Coates and Matías Viña, midfielders Federico Valverde, Nicolás de la Cruz and Giorgian de Arrascaeta and strikers Edinson Cavani, Darwin Núñez and Maximiliano Gómez.
In this week’s playoffs, Brazil, with 34 points, have been the first South American team to qualify for Qatar. Ecuador remains third with 20 points. Chile, Colombia and Uruguay follow with 16 points, two ahead of Peru. Paraguay and Bolivia have 12 points, and Venezuela seven.
Argentina’s next opponent is Brazil when they will face San Juan (Argentina) on Tuesday. The September match was interrupted after seven minutes of play due to authorities violating COVID-19 protocols. FIFA has not yet decided whether it will be repeated.
[ad_2]
Source link
