Argentina shows it’s so much more than just Lionel Messi
As Argentina prepares to defend its world title, the South Americans saw off Honduras in a warm-up friendly in College Station, Texas.
Argentina is much more than its starting XI. In their latest World Cup tune-up, La Albiceleste once again delivered a strong showing, beating Honduras 2-0 on U.S. soil - a result that boosted the confidence of a squad that took the field with a heavy rotation of reserves. The Hondurans, coached by José Francisco Molina, made a contest of it, but ultimately came up short.
It took Argentina a while to find its rhythm in Texas. The playing surface made things tricky, with a pitch that didn’t lend itself to clean, controlled possession. Still, despite Honduras’ disciplined, collective defensive setup, Lionel Scaloni’s side found ways to threaten goal, particularly out wide, where there was more room to operate.
Lautaro lights up Albiceleste win
The South Americans created chances, and Giovani Lo Celso even rattled the crossbar during a sequence of warning shots at Edrick Menjívar’s net. Eventually, though, it was Lautaro Martínez who broke the deadlock from the penalty spot. The goal settled the reigning world champions and provided the spark they needed to push harder and put their opponents under sustained pressure.
As the Texas crowd clamored to see Lionel Messi - who ultimately never entered the match - it was Martínez who put the finishing touches on his performance before heading to the bench. The Inter Milan striker, in an Argentina side that flowed much more smoothly after halftime, produced a clever backheel assist for Giuliano Simeone that brought the stands to life.
No further goals were needed for La Albiceleste, who closed out the friendly by controlling possession, rarely looking troubled, and once again showcasing a patient, polished approach that has been refined over time. Confidence continues to build as the World Cup draws nearer.
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- 1 Musso (80')
- 6 Lisandro Martínez (62')
- Agustín Giay
- 3 Tagliafico (45')
- 19 Otamendi (85')
- 17 Giuliano (81')
- 8 Valentín Barco (45')
- 14 Exequiel Palacios (80')
- 11 Lo Celso (62')
- 22 Lautaro Martínez (62')
- 16 Almada (62')
- Substitutes
- Ignacio Ovando
- 10 Messi
- Santiago Beltrán (80')
- Simón Escobar
- 25 Facundo Medina (45')
- 15 Nico Gonzalez
- 7 De Paul (45')
- 12 Rulli
- 21 José Manuel López (62')
- Nicolás Capaldo (81')
- Joaquín Freitas (85')
- 24 Enzo Fernández (62')
- Tomás Aranda (80')
- 13 Cristian Romero (62')
- 20 Alexis Mac Allister (62')
- 1 Edrick Menjívar (80')
- Giancarlos Sacaza (78')
- 2 Denil Maldonado (61')
- 8 Joseph Rosales (77')
- 6 Cristopher Meléndez (80')
- Edwin Rodríguez (61')
- 17 Luis Palma (80')
- Kervin Arriaga (61')
- 60 Rigoberto Rivas (77')
- 90 Dereck Moncada (61')
- 9 Jorge Benguché (45')
- Substitutes
- J. Aguilera (77')
- Alejandro Reyes (61')
- Exon Arzú (61')
- Keyrol Figueroa (45')
- Alex Güity
- 4 Luis Vega (61')
- 23 Jorge Álvarez
- 18 Luis Ortiz (80')
- Clinton Bennett (78')
- Jeffry Miranda (77')
- Kevin Güiti (80')
- David Ruíz (61')
- Cristian Canales (80')
Substitutions
Rodrigo De Paul (45', Valentín Barco), Facundo Medina (45', Nicolás Tagliafico), Keyrol Figueroa (45', Jorge Benguché), Luis Vega (61', Denil Maldonado), Exon Arzú (61', Dereck Moncada), Alejandro Reyes (61', Edwin Rodríguez), David Ruíz (61', Kervin Arriaga), José Manuel López (62', Lautaro Martínez), Cristian Romero (62', Lisandro Martínez), Enzo Fernández (62', Thiago Almada), Alexis Mac Allister (62', Giovani Lo Celso), Jeffry Miranda (77', Rigoberto Rivas), José Aguilera (77', Joseph Rosales), Clinton Bennett (78', Giancarlos Sacaza), Santiago Beltrán (80', Juan Musso), Tomás Aranda (80', Exequiel Palacios), Luis Ortiz (80', Edrick Menjívar), Kevin Güiti (80', Luis Palma), Cristian Canales (80', Cristopher Meléndez), Nicolás Capaldo (81', Giuliano Simeone), Joaquín Freitas (85', Nicolás Otamendi)
Goals
1-0, 36': Lautaro Martínez, 2-0, 53': Giuliano
Cards
Referee: Victor Manuel Rivas
VAR Referee: Allen Chapman, Edvin Jurisevic
Valentín Barco (30',Yellow), Lisandro Martínez (48',Yellow), Denil Maldonado (51',Yellow), Facundo Medina (71',Yellow), Nicolás Capaldo (90',Yellow)