The Argentina Sub 23 Team prepares for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. And the signs are positive. After Saturday’s 4-0 on the Huracán field, the team Javier Mascherano They once again measured their strength against Paraguay and it was once again a clear victory, although not so comfortable. With almost absolute rotation, the national team was once again much superior and won 2-0 with a couple of great goals from Giuliano Simeone, Cholo’s best son. It was a header and a kick for the Deportivo Alavés player who showed his strength and his desire to be among the 18 who will go to the capital of France in search of the gold medal.
“The truth is that I am very happy to be in this pre-selection. Add training and add minutes in these two games to show what I am and what I give. Very happy. There are 50 players, there are many very good ones. And that is the decision of the coaching staff. Very calm because I had been doing things very well in Alavés. I hope my dad and my brothers saw the game,” said Cholito III in statements to TyC Sports.
The national team was, to begin with, the one that proposed and the one that was most ambitious in the South of Greater Buenos Aires. With the push of Santiago Hezze and Alan Varela in the midfield, Thiago Almada managed to feed Luciano Gondouwhich was, as always, the beacon of the attack and the most dangerous plays.
The most dangerous at the beginning was at the feet of the only world champion that Mascherano has in his ranks. The former Vélez, who from the beginning tuned in very well with Simeone, received at the door of the area after a cross behind the Argentinos Juniors forward and finished very wide. The boy from Atlanta United makes the difference.
The match, however, began to lose intensity due to Argentina’s lack of clarity in the final meters. He couldn’t find a way to pierce Paraguay, which stopped in its field waiting to find a counter that would bring it closer to a Leandro Brey that in the first hour he had almost no activity – he was barely disturbed by a weak shot from Caballero.
Mascherano’s Sub 23 continued to dominate and found the key to the goal 36 minutes into the first half after a nice deep ball that Almada slipped to Julio Soler, the left back, who reached the bottom and put the center in the head of Simeone. Cholo’s youngest son, 21 years old and recovered from a fractured ankle, defined a cross to leave Rodrigo Frutos with no chance and counterattack. Great goal.
Already in the second half, after Alan Varela saw yellow for a harsh challenge on Thiago Caballero, Argentina was close to stretching the gap after a good transfer from Gondou to Simeone, who was face to face with the goalkeeper, but this time , with his right foot, defined very poorly. The rebound didn’t help him either.
However, Cholito III had immediate revenge. He found a loose ball that the willing Gondou had fought for, no one came out to pressure him and he settled in to take a violent right hand that hit Frutos’ goal, who missed the blow.
After Simeone’s second goal, Paraguay finally woke up and brought danger to Brey’s goal with a shot from outside that the Boca goalkeeper could not keep. Between Damián Fernández and Joaquín García they resolved the situation. Duarte also had it, with a header, but his shot went wide.
The minutes passed in Cabrero and Guidi and the strength and energy began to be consumed. Argentina began to rotate players. Soler, Varela, Thiago Fernández, Gondou left in different windows and Cristian Medina, Kevin Lomónaco, Lucas Beltrán and Santiago Castro entered. Later, Simeone, who was close to third, left the field to leave his place for Gonzalo Luján. Mascherano also took advantage of the last minutes to try another scheme, with three deep, while Paraguay continued without hurting.
This Monday’s duel was the last friendly that the Sub 23 played in the country, before flying to France. Once in the vicinity of Paris, with the list already defined including the three seniors – Nicolás Otamendi and Julián Álvarez are already confirmed -, they will play two new friendlies. One will be against FC Rouen 1899, a club from the French seventh division, and another against the Guinean team, also qualified for the Olympic Games.
