Argentina national and Lionel Messi were dashed on November 15, 2024, by Paraguay with a 2-1 score in a significant World Cup qualifying match. This defeat is what finishes the extremely busy year of Messi with two straight losses first as the club team and the second with the country.
Match Report
Argentina started off very strong and were soon leading through Lautaro Martínez who opened the score as early as in the 11th minute of the match. Enzo Fernández sent a well-directed pass, and Lautaro managed to finish low into the net as he had been initially flagged offside. It was all subject to the VAR review that confirmed the goal, giving Argentina an early lead.
But Paraguay responded immediately. Eight minutes from the equalizer, from a cross by Gustavo Velázquez, came the stunning bicycle kick conversion by Antonio Sanabria and made it 1-1. The whole momentum of the game shifted in favor of Paraguay; they dominated the game.
Turnaround in the Second Half
Argentina can't catch their rhythm in the second half, as Omar Alderete scored his winner in the 47th minute, when the ball coming from a free kick by Diego Gómez came through to, heading goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Several attempts at leveling included Messi's long-range shot, which scraped the post in a wide miss.
Messi's Fury
In the game, Messi found little space to operate and grew visibly frustrated when the referee, Anderson Daronco, failed to give him a free pass due to aggressive tackling by Paraguayan defenders for his failed attempted rallies of his teammates. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni agreed that the performance was good but said they still need to fix those errors if they want to keep going forward. Lautaro Martínez added: "Improvements must come, but he seems very positive about their situation.
Current Standings
Argentina is still at the top of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table despite this setback, taking 22 points from 11 matches. They will lose the top position based on results elsewhere. A win now puts Paraguay within a touching distance of being in contention with a qualification chance as well with 16 points. On the same day, Argentina faces Peru in Buenos Aires on November 20th with the hope of getting back by reacting to this defeat and competing in the next World Cup.
End Note
This match, in which Paraguay won over the reigning champion on their grounds, has shed more light on Argentina's weaknesses as well as the resurgence of Paraguay in the South American football arena. By this victory, it becomes evident that Paraguay can play at a good level and beat a defending champion. For Messi and Argentina, this loss makes them realize that keeping their form is important as they gear up for further battles ahead in World Cup qualifiers.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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