Lionel Messi has in his collection goals of all kinds and colors: left-handed, right-handed, close, far, hole, Chilean, scissor, volley, half-turn, head, heel, chest. ..But “passing” goals like the first against Uruguay are not remembered. In three quarters of the court he saw Nico González and he hit the ball with the back of his left foot. The former Argentinos Juniors player did not arrive, Muslera, confused, neither and the ball went quietly to the net, as if delighted.
His ex-compadre at Barcelona can write in the complaint book “I shoot very strong goals, two of them are blocked by the goalkeeper and one of them gives it back to me and he shoots a cross and holes it. There is no right ”. From that perspective he had the right to kick, but Luis Suárez and all of Uruguay know very well that in the balance of the 90 minutes, Argentina was vastly superior, in the measure of three goals difference or even some more.
Messi’s curious goal began to open a game that came half a goat, like all those that are played against tough rivals like Uruguay, and Rodrigo De Paul’s goal, entering free through the middle, finished raising the curtain.
Argentina went to the break with the 2-0 in their pocket, with the peace of mind of having an archer always available to respond to any surprise, leaving the question of how he was going to plan the second half, if he was going to take care of the 2-0 or I was going to go for more. The response did not take long and from the first minute of the complementary stage and until the final whistle, Lionel Scaloni’s team, confident, confident, enlarged, displayed an enormous technical baggage. Intense brand, suffocating to keep the rival from growing, clear exit from the bottom with Romero, touch, wall, triangulation, some spout to qualify and successive encounters of Lo Celso with Paredes, with the sides and later with those who entered who played in the same tune.
In the final 45 minutes, several goal situations were fired up and the third came, with a touch from Lautaro Martínez just under the goal, after a cross from De Paul and a previous genius from Messi. In the area surrounded by six Uruguayan players, the PSG star turned and put the pass to the right cleaning everything.
If the win was not greater, if the game did not end six or seven to zero, it was because Fernando Muslera took several goal balls or because he lacked a bit of luck in shots that went near the post.
It should be noted that the Uruguayans did not hit, they did not dirty the game and they banked the dance without questioning, perhaps thinking that they still have a match of the triple day, against Brazil and as a visitor, and better take care of themselves.
The road to Qatar is paved from every angle. Before Argentina-Uruguay, it was learned of the victory of Venezuela over Ecuador that already widened the margin of difference, with seven points over Colombia, the fifth and in the playoff position. But beyond the numbers and the concrete data, what remains is the feeling that there is a team, that these boys are capable of raising the flag of the touch and of that football that wins, excites, excites and represents us.
You have to go far back to find another exhibition like this one against Uruguay. Hopefully on Thursday against Peru they offer us a new role.
.
