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Sergio Aguero’s second-half goal was enough for Argentina to beat Uruguay and claim pole position in their bid to qualify for the knockout stages of the Copa America. After a tense first-half in which neither sides were able to create too many clear-cut opportunities, Aguero opened the scoring just before the hour mark as he bravely headed home from close range from a Pablo Zabaleta cross.Although La Celeste pushed plenty of men forward in the final exchanges hoping to claim a point, nothing went their way as Tata Martino’s side claimed their first win of the tournament.Here are the major talking points from the game -
#1 Emotions run wild in tight affair
On what was the coldest conditions in the tournament so far, the mercury was at its highest on the pitch. The rivalry between Argentina and Uruguay is well-documented, but those that weren’t aware of it were given the perfect example, when Sergio Aguero (Manchester City’s talisman) was given a stern talking to, for lunging into a tackle.
When a striker known for his mild manner and calmness on the pitch was channelling his inner-Simeone, you know tensions were high. While there were no red cards shown to anyone, that was a surprise considering the number of reckless challenges and silly shoves that took place throughout the match.
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Football may be a game of skill, but this was a game in which emotion and passion took over.
#2 Attack beats defence
If you were among those millions of people, who have witnessed plenty of matches but have never witnessed a training session, all you had to do is watch this match and your curiosity would’ve certainly been quenched.
This was a classic example of attack vs defence, a training drill that is employed by every team while preparing for a match. Unfortunately, nobody told these two sides that, as Argentina attacked with everything they had and Uruguay defended for their lives.
This usually happens when a side is in the lead or in the closing stages of a game or when a big team goes up against a smaller side, but it happened throughout the 90 minutes of what was the biggest game of the group stages so far.
Barring the final 15 minutes when the roles were reversed and Uruguay threw men forward in numbers, it was a game of attack vs defence in which the former won.
#3 Rolan is no Forlan
How do you replace a Golden Ball winner, who previously held the record for the most goals for Uruguay? La Celeste seem to believe that the easiest thing to do might be to play someone with a similar sounding name and that is exactly what they have done in their bid to replace Diego Forlan.
While Bordeaux’s 22-year-old Diego Rolan might have a similar name, his performance against Argentina showed just how much his country missed both the suspended Luis Suarez and the aforementioned Forlan.
While Rolan was full of running and provided some much-needed energy and pace going forward, he didn’t have his best game. Not only did he miss a glorious opportunity to level the score in the second half when all he had to do was keep his shot down, he conceded needless free-kicks and displayed a lack of maturity which proved that Oscar Tabarez was wrong to stick with the forward.
#4 Uruguay pay the price for having no plan B
When you are given the responsibility of trying to ensure a team containing Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Javier Pastore and Sergio Aguero don’t score, there aren’t many things to do but sit deep and defend your box. For 55 minutes, Uruguay did that extremely well and frustrated the Argentine attackers.
The problem with sitting deep and forgetting about possession is that it only takes one momentary lapse in concentration or individual brilliance to score and throw that tactic out of the window. Uruguay’s problem was that they didn’t have another option when they went behind.
Aside from set-pieces, they seldom threatened Martino’s side, who looked nervous every time they came forward in numbers. Instead of changing things and going more attacking, the Uruguayans stuck to their guns and as a result, struggled to break down Argentina from open play.
#5 Referee Ricci takes control
The world of sports offers plenty of glamorous roles that everyone dreams of performing. But one role no one really wants to do is that of the umpire or the referee. Especially not in football, when your mistakes are scrutinized and highlighted while your good decisions are forgotten instantaneously.
While the job of a referee isn’t easy at the best of times, a Brazilian refereeing a game between Argentina and Uruguay, who have a rivalry that is over a century old, in a game that might well decide the winner of the group, is as hard as it gets.
Despite the general physical nature of the game, Sandro Ricci was in control throughout, never letting the players get in the way of his decision making. While some of his decisions, especially the free-kicks not given to Messi for some robust tackling and shoulder barges, weren’t well received by the crowd, it was consistent with his overall game.
In general, it is difficult for referees to be sensible as well as consistent, but Ricci managed it with consummate ease.
