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Soccer – World Cup – South American Qualifiers – Argentina v Uruguay – El Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina – October 10, 2021 Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their first objective REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
BUENOS AIRES – Two targets within the minutes earlier than halftime, one among them an unusually lucky counter from Lionel Messi, helped Argentina on their option to a cushty 3-0 win over Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
Eight minutes earlier than the break, Messi floated a 35-meter go into the realm however it was missed by each advancing striker Nicolas Gonzalez and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and one way or the other sneaked into the online.
Six minutes later Lautaro Martinez swung and missed at an opportunity on the sting of the field however the free ball fell into the trail of Rodrigo De Paul who made no mistake.
Martinez made up for the miss when he transformed a low cross from De Paul 17 minutes into the second half.
“We performed a terrific sport,” stated Messi. “All the pieces labored out completely.”
“Uruguay watch for you and so they generate hazard. As soon as we acquired the primary objective we began to seek out house and the targets appeared.”
The win, mixed with Brazil’s 0-0 draw at Colombia earlier within the day, narrows the hole between leaders Brazil and second-placed Argentina to 6 factors on the prime of the 10-team South American qualifying group.
The highest 4 groups qualify robotically for Qatar and the fifth-placed facet go into an inter-regional playoff.
Uruguay, who ended the day fourth within the 10-team desk, was unbeaten in eight matches coming into Sunday’s match.
They took the sport to their rivals, with Luis Suarez coming shut on three events within the first half hour, together with one thunderous shot that got here again off the publish.
Argentina grew as the sport went on, although, and Giovani Lo Celso missed a golden probability to open the scoring when he rounded the goalkeeper however delayed earlier than placing a shot that hit the underside of the bar and the objective line earlier than rolling to security.
After the house facet drew first blood they by no means appeared like shedding an unbeaten run that now stands at 24 video games.
Edinson Cavani got here on within the second half for Uruguay however it was Argentina who had the higher possibilities in an entertaining sport that featured solely 15 fouls and no cautions.
Messi got here near getting his second and substitute Angel Di Maria may have made it 4 on two events solely to twice see Muslera parry his goalbound photographs.
Elsewhere, Chile received for the primary time in eight qualifying matches to maintain their slender hopes of qualifying for Qatar alive.
Ben Brereton and Mauricio Isla scored within the 68th and 72nd minutes to raise the Chileans, who missed out on Russia in 2018, on to 11 factors, simply 5 behind fifth-placed Colombia.
Charles Aranguiz was despatched off two minutes later for the house facet however Paraguay couldn’t make their late benefit depend and so they had their very own participant despatched off within the last minute when Omar Alderete noticed purple.
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