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It was a familiar sight at the Belo Horizonte today as a poor Argentina display resulted in Paraguay getting a 1-1 draw against the runners up of the previous two editions.
Argentina started the match brightly as they looked the more dangerous of the two sides in the opening 10 minutes. This passage though was the only time the 15-time champions looked threatening as Paraguay took control of the game.
The Albiceleste went behind in the 37th minute after a brilliant individual display from Miguel Almiron was finished off by Richard Sanchez.
Argentina equalised in the 57th minute following a VAR decision after Ivan Piris was judged to have handled the ball inside the box.
Five minutes later, Argentina was on the other end of the ground as the referee awarded a penalty to Paraguay following Nicolas Otamendi's foul on Gonzalez. Franco Armani turned the saviour as the 32-year old parried the shot away after Gonzalez struck a low shot to his right.
A late charge in the last 10 minutes of the match was not enough for the Albiceleste as they once again failed to get a victory in Copa America 2019.
Let's take a look at 5 talking points from the match.
Also see : Copa America Standings, La Liga Transfer News, Barcelona Transfer News
#5 Argentina on the brink of exit of yet another International competition
Argentina is once again on the brink of extending their trophyless run to 26 years after their draw against Paraguay. The 15-time Copa America winners are now third in the group with a single point following the completion of two matches.
The South American giants had the worst possible start to their campaign after losing 2-0 to Colombia in their opening match of the 2019 edition.
The Albiceleste will now need to beat the Asian champions Qatar and hope that Paraguay does not beat Colombia.
#4 Finally, Messi arrives at Copa America 2019
Coming on the back of scoring 50 goals in the season, Lionel Messi was provided with a chance of redemption after going almost 140 minutes of normal time without a goal.
With his side trailing 1-0 and facing the prospect of going out of the tournament, Messi stepped up in the 57th minute facing Gaito Fernandez after the referee gave the Albiceleste a penalty following a harsh handball call on Ivan Piris.
With memories of his skying his last penalty in the Copa America Centenario finals, Lionel Messi shot to his right as the Barcelona man scored his first goal of this year's edition after Fernandez agonisingly came close to saving it.
#3 Franco Armani saves the day
The limelight would have fallen on Lionel Messi for finally scoring from the spot had it not been for the heroics at the other end of the pitch from Franco Armani.
Lucky to still be on the pitch following a mishap in the 45th minute that led to the goalkeeper fouling Gonzalez, Armani was put on the spotlight yet again after Paraguay was awarded a penalty in the 61st minute after a rash challenge by Otamendi on the same player.
At 1-1, Gonzalez stepped up to take the crucial penalty kick that would have given his side a lead and possibly a victory. But the Paraguayan player saw his shot parried away after Armani read the intentions of the winger to keep his side in the match.
The 32-year old was at it yet again in the 85th minute when he made a double save. First he stopped Matias Rojas' curling freekick and followed it up with another block on the follow through. Even if a goal was scored in the follow through, it would have been deemed offside.
#2 Paraguay left to rue chances
The Paraguayans were yet again left to rue their chances following their 2-2 draw against Qatar after letting a 2-0 lead slip up.
Today the Paraguayans spurned a great chance of beating a South American opponent at the Copa America for the first time since 2007.
Eduardo Berizzo's side was the more dangerous of the two during major portions in the match but failed to capitalize on their upper hand.
The Paraguayans had their first chance in the 24th minute but saw Gonzalez's shot blocked. They eventually took the lead in the 37th minute through Sanchez after some brilliant play by Miguel Almiron.
They were unlucky to go behind in the 57th minute after VAR awarded a penalty to the Albiceleste after a harsh handball.
Los Guaraníes La Albirroja though were given their own penalty in the 61st minute but Gonzalez had his shot saved by Armani.
In the 83rd minute Berizzo side was yet again given an opportunity from a set piece situation but saw their efforts thwarted by the Argentianian goalkeeper.
The Paraguayans were left to rue their chances as they scuffed a great chance to qualify to the next round of the competition.
#1 Argentina needs to sort out their defensive problems quickly
It's a mystery why the Albiceleste fails to address their glaring defensive problems even though it has been their most problem-filled area for the last couple of years.
Today, yet again, showcased why the defence needed major reworking as a relatively less dangerous Paraguayan attack ran riot amongst the Argentina backline.
Miguel Almiron and Gonzalez toyed with the Argentina defence all day long, as the South American giants failed to cope with the pace of the duo.
The defence was split open in the 24th minute but a crucial block by Tagliafico helped Albicelste keep the scores level.
The defence was carved open once again but this time Paraguay capitalised after Almiron virtually cut through the back four with a brilliant run and an equally impressive assist.
Their was more misery to come as Nicolas Otamendi poor tackle saw Paraguay being awarded a penalty only for Franco Armani to save the day.
If not for poor finishing, Paraguay would have comfortably won the match. Luca Scaloni will need to work overtime on his defence if they are to reach the quality that an Argentina team requires.
