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Argentina withstood a late Jamaican onslaught to win and clinch top spot in Group B. Gonzalo Higuain’s early goal looked like the first of many, but a combination of brave defending, tremendous goalkeeping and profligate finishing meant that that was the only goal of the game.For the majority of the game, the crowd gathered in Estadio Sausalito were treated to a thoroughly one-sided affair, but all of that changed in the final 15 minutes. The North American side threw men forward, huffed and puffed, but were in the end, unable to stop La Albiceleste from claiming their second successive win in this year’s Copa America.Here are the major talking points from the game -
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With Argentina already through and Jamaica knocked out of the competition, the final group game looked as though it was going to be a boring one-sided win for the Tata Martino’s side. But while the game was one-sided, it could certainly not be classified as boring.
When your left-back brings out the rabona from the left-flank inside the first quarter of the game, you know that you are cruising. Although the final result didn’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things, the game itself was an enjoyable watch for neutrals.
While Argentina brought out the party tricks, Jamaica showed just why the country is the birthplace of the world’s fastest man. The pace at which the Reggae Boyz attacked on the break was simply breath-taking and showed that while they may not as be as good as their opponents with the ball, they can still compete.
#2 Argentina are not the finished article
If Argentina are to end their 22-year trophy drought and turn their five Under-20 World Cups won between 1995 and 2007 into silverware at senior level, they will need to finish much better than they did against Jamaica.
While they were without Sergio Aguero and were playing safe in the knowledge that they were already through, their lacklustre finishing is something Tata Martino will be keen to address as they march into the latter stages of the tournament.
Despite hitting the crossbar twice, with efforts from Di Maria and Higuain, last year’s World Cup finalists looked very much like a side playing with their handbrakes on. Although it did not matter much in the context of this game, had Jamaica found their finishing boots, it might well have.
#3 Di Maria soars like an angel
Towards the end of the season, Angel Di Maria looked like a footballer whose talents had been stolen and taken away from him. His confidence was shot to pieces and he struggled to justify being the fifth-most expensive signing of all-time.
Yet his performances so far in the Copa America have been that of a man on a mission to show just why Manchester United were right in splashing the cash on him. Jamaica were the unfortunate victims on this occasion when Di Maria had one of those games in which he simply unplayable.
While he was unable to get his name on the scoresheet, he did almost everything else in an attacking sense. Whether it was beating defenders and leaving them for dead, hitting the bar, creating chances for his teammates or providing delightful chips and cross-field balls, he did it all.
#4 Jamaica exit with their heads held high
If this was a boxing match, the referee would have stopped the game after eight minutes when Martino’s side had a scarcely believable 92% possession. Thankfully, it wasn’t and what followed was proof that hard work, determination and organisation can make up for lack of natural talent.
Although the final result was Jamaica’s third successive 1-0 defeat, the scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story. Against an Argentina side packed with a galaxy of stars, Winfried Schafer’s side held their own for large parts of the game and were slightly unlucky to not have scored and made their advantage in the final 15 minutes count for more.
They might leave the competition without a single goal or point to show for their efforts, but Schafer’s side have certainly won plenty of hearts in Chile.
#5 The Carlos Tevez conundrum
If the Argentina starting XI was decided on the basis of a popularity contest, there is little doubt that Carlos Tevez would be one of the first names on the team sheet. With Aguero nursing a shoulder injury, Martino called upon Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain rather than the man who played in the UEFA Champions League final barely a month ago.
Despite his fantastic season for the Italian champions, Tevez’s tendency to phase out from time to time resulted in him being a second-half substitute for Higuain, instead of being first choice for Martino. Higuain, who was winning his 50th cap became the country’s sixth highest goal scorer.
The 27-year-old also hit the woodwork and looked very much in tune with the rest of the side as he delivered a performance that puts Argentina’s embarrassment of striking riches in perspective.
