Argentina made an inauspicious start to the post-Lionel Messi era, losing 2-1 to Uruguay at a half-empty Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires.
The friendly was Argentina’s first since Messi’s farewell match, a 3-0 victory against Benin, last month — drawing a close to their longtime captain’s 21-year international career, in which he became his country’s record appearance maker and goalscorer, helping them lift the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America trophies.
Argentina fell behind early in the second half against Diego Forlan’s Uruguay, with Roma centre-back Leonardo Balerdi diverting into his own net from a set piece in the 48th minute.
Uruguay then doubled their lead five minutes later when a corner looped off Maxi Araujo’s back and over goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Argentina created plenty of chances and got a goal back in the 73rd minute via Julian Alvarez’s finish from a Gianluca Prestianni cross, but they could not find an equaliser.
The match took place with large swathes of Boca Juniors’ famous Bombonera ground empty — Argentinian newspaper Clarin estimated that 20,000-25,000 fans attended, less than half of the stadium’s 58,000 capacity.
(Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
A report in the Spanish newspaper AS suggested high prices and restrictions on how tickets were distributed were factors in the low attendance.
“We have to re-find ourselves without Leo Messi and we have the material to leave behind this defeat,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who this week renewed his contract until 2030, told reporters afterwards, as quoted by ESPN.
“We couldn’t find the moment for the boys (youngsters Nico Paz, Matias Soule and Prestianni) to play their football. We can’t expect them to put the team on their shoulders, it’s hard, and their team-mates will help them.
“The people will come to support us, even if he (Messi) isn’t here anymore. We need to inspire the fans.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Alvarez.
“It’s a new era, with many young players. We have to keep working to continue the legacy left by the others,” the Atletico Madrid striker told the Argentine Football Association website. “We learned and grew during these years with people who gave everything to the national team: we try to emulate that.”
Argentina’s final game of this international break is another friendly against Costa Rica on Tuesday at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba, Argentina.
