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After the controversial loss to Morocco in their Olympic debut, Argentina returned to the field this Saturday (27) in the second round of the men’s football tournament
27 Jul
2024
– 12:43
(updated at 12:43)
After the controversial loss to Morocco in their Olympic debut, Argentina returned to the field this Saturday (27) in the second round of the men’s football tournament to face Iraq in the city of Lyon. The Albiceleste faced some pressure but won with a score of 3 to 1, keeping them alive in the quest for a spot.
With three points, the South American team is tied with the Iraqis on points and is waiting for the match between Ukraine and Morocco to see how their chances for a quarterfinal spot will be.
The match
Argentina started strong, creating the best offensive chances, especially by putting the ball into the Iraqi area. Thiago Almada was one of the most active players in the South American team’s offensive line, and at nine minutes, he took a strong free-kick that was saved by goalkeeper Hussein Hasan.
The future Botafogo player, however, would have better luck with his chances at 13 minutes, when he took advantage of a play by Soler and Julian Álvarez to strike hard and open the scoring for the Albiceleste in Lyon.
The Argentine dominance continued strong and they almost scored again at 21 minutes when a planned corner kick between Almada and Joaquin García resulted in a shot from the latter, which was headed by Medina and sailed over the rival’s goal. Iraq’s response came at 26 minutes when Ahmed Hasan received a pass from Ali Jasim and sent the ball first time for Rulli to save.
The Iraqis began to find space on the field and took advantage of gaps left by Argentina, which continued to have the best chances, missing goals with Almada and Julian Álvarez. The persistence of the Asian team paid off at 48 minutes when Ahmed Hassan crossed into the area and Aymen Hussein beat the Albiceleste defense to complete the equalizer.
Seeking to regain control, the Albiceleste relied on Almada, who attempted a shot at eight minutes into the second half; the Iraqi goalkeeper prevented the South Americans from getting their second goal. Three minutes later, the player again missed a free kick opportunity.
Javier Mascherano made several substitutions, and one of them led to Argentina’s second goal. From a right-side cross by Zenón, Gondou, who had entered the game shortly before, beat the defense and headed the ball accurately to put his team back in the lead in Lyon.
At 22, Gondou tried again, striking first time, and once again, Hussein Hasan saved Iraq from conceding a goal. The Argentine dominance was evident, with chances continuing to arise, such as Simeone’s at 31 minutes, which was deflected out by the Iraqi defense, which worked hard to contain the South American advances.
With more ball possession and no opposition from the rivals, Argentina scored their third goal at 39 minutes. After a series of passes, the ball fell to Ezequiel Fernández who, from the edge of the area, sent a beautiful shot that was indefensible for the goalkeeper. With the victory secured, the Albiceleste managed the result until the final whistle.
Next matches
On Tuesday (30), the group will be decided with Argentina facing Ukraine and Iraq going up against Morocco in the decisive round of the Olympic group stage.