Argentina defeated Venezuela 1-0 in a friendly match played in Miami. The game took place at Hard Rock Stadium, which can seat around 65,000 people, but only about 15,000 fans showed up to watch. Lionel Messi did not play and was seen supporting his teammates from the stands.
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| Image Source: Goal.com |
The only goal of the match came in the 31st minute. Forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez combined well in attack, creating a quick move that ended with Giovani Lo Celso scoring with his left foot past Venezuela’s goalkeeper, Jose Contreras.
Argentina controlled the game comfortably for most of the time. Venezuela struggled to create any real threat for the world champions. Right-back Nahuel Molina also delivered a solid performance throughout the match.
This was the first of Argentina’s two friendly matches during the international break in Florida. Their next match will be against Puerto Rico in Fort Lauderdale. The game was moved from Chicago to Florida due to new immigration-related measures by the US government.
Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, cheered for his team from the stands as Argentina proved they could win even without him on the field. The team will wrap up their international break with the game against Puerto Rico next week.