Too much Argentina and too much Lautaro for a Peru reduced to a walk-on. Already certain of passage to the quarterfinals, the Albiceleste took full spoils by taking first place in the group with a dominant performance despite the large turnover and the unavailability of Lionel Messi. The match at the Hard Rock Stadium is without history, where Lautaro Martinez is in good and bad weather, scoring a stunning brace that puts him at the top of the tournament’s top scorers: four goals in three games for the Bahìa Blanca striker, on the pitch from ‘beginning to the end after the two short bursts against Canada and Chile. Official debut for Valentin Carboni, who came on for the last quarter of an hour in place of Di Maria. Canada is also celebrating for a historic qualification (as second in the group) obtained thanks to the 0-0 draw against Chile. But the South Americans, for whom a generous Sanchez is not enough, have a lot to complain about after more than an hour of play in inferiority numerical for Suazo’s expulsion. For Argentina they will face Mexico or Ecuador in the quarter-finals, while Canada – barring any sensational surprises – will face Venezuela.
what a bull
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The Miami public cannot enjoy the Pulce (who are aiming to return for the quarter-finals) and have to settle for a revised version of the world champion Albiceleste, directed for the occasion by Walter Samuel in place of the disqualified Lionel Scaloni. But in the end there is still no lack of spectacle and goals, those of a Toro in the “intratable” version, as they say in Argentina. For Fossati’s Peru, which this time relies on the veteran Guerrero by benching Lapadula, there is no escape right from the start despite Argentina’s overall calm pace. The main dangers for Gallese come from the right lane manned by Di Maria and Montiel, but as the minutes pass, the dangers multiply thanks to the free kicks and insertions of the midfielders. The attempts by Otamendi (high header), Paredes (free kick) and Lo Celso (split deflection) are the prelude to a recovery in the name of Toro, which not even the systematic mistakes of Zambrano and company manage to stop.
The treatment reserved for Lautaro is in fact often on the edge of the rules and, at a certain point, the Nerazzurri striker even risks losing his nerves, but three occasions are enough to land two decisive strikes: the first in the 47th minute, taking advantage of a precise pass from Di Maria with a soft right-footer to beat Gallese, the second in the 86th minute with another fine touch after slipping between Corzo and Zambrano. In between, a penalty wasted by Paredes in the 72nd minute (shot on the post) and the official debut of Carboni, who finds just enough time for three bursts down the right lane. The only flaw of the evening, Garnacho’s timid performance.
Roja fury, canada in ecstasy
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The opposite climate in Orlando, where Canada and Chile gave each other a good beating for 98 minutes before the surprise verdict: the North Americans went ahead, blocking Crepeau’s defence without going into too much detail. Risky tackles and interventions from behind were the Canadian calling card in the first 15 minutes of the game, the ones in which referee Roldàn and the VAR room even forgave a clear elbow from Bombita on Echeverrìa. It’s a shame that Suazo didn’t enjoy the same indulgence in the following ten minutes, picking up two yellow cards and the consequent expulsion for two clumsy tackles. Chile’s merit was not to throw in the towel and, once they had digested the furious protests, to throw themselves forward with their heads down. But the Canadian defence blocked the defence quite easily and not even Sanchez’s spirit of sacrifice was of any use. El Nino ran like a madman, distributed an infinite quantity of balls and constantly offered himself, but he never managed to create a clear opportunity and preached in the desert. The best chances, in the end, are those that Canada creates at the end of the first half with two dangerous attempts by Davies and Eustaquio. On the other hand, the Roja also claims a penalty in the second half and eats its hands for the final assault, with the late insertion of Brereton. The party is all for Marsch’s Canada, who also enjoys a Buchanan who is clearly recovering from the first outing: coming in at 76′, the Nerazzurri finds the time to sketch out a thrust and almost scores with a powerful diagonal.
