The world champions of Argentina took a Friday night stroll to victory, beating Venezuela 1-0 in a friendly match. Superstar Lionel Messi was sitting this one out, giving others a chance to shine. Giovani Lo Celso stepped up, netting the lone goal in the 31st minute. Defender Nicolás Otamendi, a key player for Benfica, watched the game from the bench. It shows that even the biggest teams use these matches to try new combinations and rest key players.
Venezuela, a team that missed out on the World Cup after finishing eighth in the South American qualifiers, put up a decent fight. Their starting lineup included Alejandro Marques, a forward from the Portuguese club Estoril. Marques played until the 58th minute before Kelsy came on to replace him. These international friendlies are crucial for developing talent and building team chemistry, even when World Cup qualification isn’t on the line.
Argentina, already looking ahead to the next World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada where they will defend their title, has adjusted its upcoming schedule. A friendly match against Puerto Rico, originally set for Monday, has been pushed back to Tuesday. The location for that game also changed, moving from Chicago to Miami. Flexibility is often a necessity when managing a demanding international football calendar.
Elsewhere on the international stage that same night, other teams were also in action. Canada, with Stephen Eustáquio of FC Porto on the bench, faced a tough challenge in Montreal. They fell 1-0 to Australia in a closely contested match. Meanwhile, the United States played to a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in Austin, sharing the points. Down south, Chile secured a 2-1 victory over Peru in Santiago. These results give us a snapshot of football talent across the globe.