Match report: Argentina 2-0 Australia
Updated
Jordy Bos, have yourself a night 👏
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) June 15, 2023
20 years old and a couple @Socceroos caps to his name, is the starting left back spot already his?
🇦🇷 #ARGvAUS 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/MtsISIVxjr
Time to wrap this blog up I think, but if you need another live-sport fix you can join David Tindall for day one of the US Open. Thanks for your company and emails, see you tomorrow for the Ashes.
“Two trophies for a one-off friendly match?!” sniffs Peter Oh. “What’s next, a third place consolation prize?! And are they made of hollow chocolate wrapped in golden foil? How else to explain that they’re so easily held aloft, one-handed, by such petite presenters?”
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE WORLD ANYMORE.
“Interesting game,” writes Zayd Salman. “I feel that Australia have a lot of promise. They may have lost, but there isn’t much you can do when you are facing the world champions.”
Full time: Argentina 2-0 Australia
An exhilarating early goal from Lionel Messi and a deft header from the substitute German Pezzella give Argentina a relatively comfortable victory over the Socceroos in Beijing.
Australia played pretty well, with Mitch Duke hitting the post at 1-0, but ultimately they didn’t create enough clear chances. Jordy Bos showed a lot of promise at left-back, while Riley McGree and Harry Souttar also stood out. Next up: England away in October.
90+1 min A bit of needle between Acuna and Strain prompts Baccus to charge over and get feisty with Acuna. It soon peters out.
Updated
89 min Hrustic’s free-kick is headed away to Robertson in the D. His crisp low shot is blocked, possibly by a teammate, and Argentina clear.
88 min Hrustic is hacked down on the right wing by Paredes (I think) and will take the free-kick himself.
86 min The corner is again worked short by Argentina, but this time nothing comes of it.
86 min Paredes waves a majestic outside-of-the-boot pass to find Garnacho in space on the left. His low cross is put behind for an Argentina corner.
84 min The match is starting to peter out now.
Updated
82 min “Evening Rob,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “Australia haven’t looked too bad, but that does come with the asterisk that Argentina haven’t shifted out of first gear. And for all of our huff and puff, this Socceroos just doesn’t possess enough pace up front to really threaten the top teams. Irankunda and Kuol might have asked a few more questions of Argentina’s backline, who could have had enjoyed a cup of mate at times in this game (mate being the traditional herbal drink, not the Aussie colloquial).”
Yes, they’ve done some nice things – I really like the look of Bos – but ultimately the Argentina defence has been pretty comfortable. What do you think of the 4-2-2-2 system?
Updated
80 min Garnacho’s stinging long-range shot is blocked, and in fact the ball has burst in the process.
79 min A change for Argentina: Guido Rodriguez for Rodrigo De Paul.
78 min Messi slithers away from three players in a space the size of a phonebox, a glorious bit of skill that sets the stadium alight again.
Lionel Messi at his very best, just sit back and enjoy 🐐
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) June 15, 2023
He somehow evaded the Socceroos defenders to find Garnacho 🔥
Watch 🇦🇷 #ARGvAUS 🇦🇺 live now on Paramount+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/Ta7HMEKlYw
Updated
77 min Australia haven’t created much in the second half, just that Baccus header really.
75 min Paredes’s first touch – well, his first contribution – is a cynical foul on Borrello. In a competitive game it would have been a yellow card.
74 min: Double substitution for Australia Leandro Paredes and the debutant Alejandro Garnacho replaces Gonzalez and Fernandez.
73 min: Triple substitution for Australia Alex Robertson, Ryan Strain and Connor Metcalfe replace Leckie, Atkinson and McGree.
71 min: Fine save by Ryan! Messi again combines with De Paul, this time on the right. Messi moves into the area and pokes the ball square to Alvarez, who slips one challenge and drives a precise low shot that is pushed round by the post by the diving Ryan.
GOAL! Argentina 2-0 Australia (Pezzella 68)
When the corner is eventually taken, it eads to a second goal! Messi took it short and gave the ball to De Paul, whose beautiful dipping cross from the left was headed in by the unmarked Pezzella. It was an accomplished finish, flicked across Ryan on the stretch.
Pezzella with the header to make it 2️⃣
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) June 15, 2023
De Paul and Messi combine from the corner and produce the perfect delivery 🎯
Watch 🇦🇷 #ARGvAUS 🇦🇺 live now on Paramount+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/doJtbAhk0m
Updated
67 min There’s somebody on the pitch. At least I assume there is: the camera is focussing on Messi as he waits to take the corner, but you could see a load of stewards run past him and onto the field.
Updated
66 min Messi’s free-kick hits Rowles in the wall and flies a few yards wide.
65 min Messi dupes Genreau, 25 yards from goal, and is tripped. As he places the ball for the free-kick, the crowd start chanting his name again.
63 min: Double Australia substitution Brandon Borrello and Denis Genreau replace Mitch Duke, who hit the post in the first half, and Aiden O’Neill. I’ve been impressed with O’Neill. He started dreadfully, staggering all over the show in an attempt to stop Messi’s goal, but he grew into the game and has played some nice, crisp passes through midfield.
60 min Since about the 20th minute, Australia have played pretty well. I know it’s only a friendly but there’s a lot to encourage Graham Arnold.
Updated
59 min: Double substitution for Argentina Julian Alvarez and Giovani Lo Celso replace Di Maria and Mac Allister.
58 min After some pushing and shoving in the middle – astonishingly, Rodrigo De Paul was involved – Hrustic eventually takes the corner. Australia take it short and work it really neatly, with O’Brien’s lofted return pass freeing Hrustic on the right side of the area. His lobbed cross is met at the far post by Baccus, whose header is crucially blocked by Pezzella. Martinez then punches the loose ball away from Souttar in the six-yard box.
Updated
56 min Hrustic, in the inside-right channel, teases an excellent flat cross towards McGree at the far post. Molina gets in front to put the ball behind for a corner.
55 min Australia take a short corner on the left, only for Bos to be caught offside. Saying which, replays show it was a poor decision.
53 min A nice bit of play from Argentina’s veterans. Messi starts it with a good pass to release Di Maria on the right. He cuts inside, looks up and floats a cross back to Messi, who arrives late in the air but heads straight at Ryan from 12 yards.
51 min With Australia pressing high, Martinez launches a goalkick straight downfield. For a split second it looks like he has put Di Maria through on goal, but Souttar stretches to poke the bouncing ball back to Ryan. Fine defending.
49 min: Good save by Ryan Acuna’s overhit cross is clawed away by the stretching Ryan. Di Maria rattles the ball back towards goal from a tight angle, and Ryan springs to his feet to push it round the near post.
47 min Actually it looks like the same 4-2-2-2 for Australia. Meanwhile, Atkinson is booked for a lunging tackle on Gonzalez. He might have got the ball, but the referee didn’t think so. Once a foul was given it was a clear yellow card.
Updated
46 min Peep peep! Australia begin the second half. Both teams have made a change apiece: German Pezzella for Nicolas Otamendi, and Ajdin Hrustic for Jamie Maclaren. That probably means a change of system for the Socceroos.
As the players wander out for the second half, Lionel Messi happily signs an autograph… for one of the assistant referees. Erm, lads, that’s not how this is supposed to work.
Updated
“Why does Angel di Maria always remind me of The Scream by Edvard Munch?” asks Justin Kavanagh. “Maybe from his time in Manchester when his face was usually a picture of pain.”
Strange thing about that is that – like Juan Veron – he started brilliantly, which led to a lot of folk (me included) getting carried away. I can’t even remember why it went so wrong so quickly, beyond his dislike of Louis van Gaal and Manchester. Actually, that’s probably enough isn’t it.
Half-time reading
Yeah I know it’s not soccer but what else are we going to talk about for the next six weeks?
Half time: Argentina 1-0 Australia
That’s the end of an entertaining first half. Lionel Messi whipped Argentina ahead after 80 seconds, and it took Australia about 15 minutes to wake up. Once they did so they had some good moments going forward, mostly created by Riley McGree and Jordy Bos. Mitch Duke’s shot was pushed onto a post by Emi Martinez; at the other end, Messi missed an excellent chance to make it 2-0.
See you soon for the second half.
45+1 min A very dodgy pass by Leckie goes straight to Messi on the edge of the Australian area. For once Messi’s first touch is too heavy, which allows Rowles to come across and clear the danger.
44 min More enterprising play from Bos. He plays a crisp one-two with O’Neill, surges to the edge of the D and then shoots over. There’s been a lot to like about his performance.
Updated
43 min Atkinson breaks promisingly down the right but his cross is behind Duke, the only Socceroo in the penalty area.
42 min It’s ferociously hot in Beijing - around 33 degrees, even though it’s almost 9pm. Because of that and much else besdies, expect plenty of substitutions in the second half.
40 min This has been a decent game – and also a pretty competitive one. There have been a bit of needle, and one or two moments of aggression that you don’t usually see in friendlies.
Updated
38 min: Chance for Messi! Di Maria, on the halfway line, plays an elegant golf shot to put Messi through on goal. Messi controls it immaculately on the run with his left foot, then dinks it over Ryan with his right. He gets too much on it, though, and the ball drifts over the bar.
36 min Messi’s dangerous through ball is well read by Ryan, who races from his line to take it off the toes of Mac Allister.
35 min Mac Allister’s neat flick releases Gonzalez, who surges to the edge of the area and then goes over after what looked like a foul from Atkinson. Play continues, and moments later Gonzalez goes down holding his face after a challenge from Atkinson. It was an accidental backhanded slap as they competed for a bouncing ball.
34 min McGree and Bos combine well once again down the left. Bos cuts inside, along the line of the penalty area, but then pokes well wide with his right foot. For a kid playing only his second international game, Bos has been terrific.
33 min Australia have been the better team in the last 10 minutes, and they are starting to get some joy by pressing Australia high up the field.
32 min Now Romero is down after a collision with Leckie. Emi Martinez runs over to have his say, but Leckie didn’t do much wrong.
31 min Otamendi is moving a bit gingerly after a collision at that previous corner. He’s going to try to run it off.
29 min McGree’s outswinging corner is met by the stooping Leckie, 12 yards out, and his powerful header is well blocked by Molina on the six-yard line.
29 min Baccus forces a mistake from Fernandez, whose attempted pass back to Martinez goes behind for a corner.
28 min: Duke hits the post! Bos cuts inside from the left and curls an inswinging cross towards Mitch Duke. He twists to drag a left-footed half-volley that is really well stopped to his left by Martinez, with the dribbling against the inside of the near post. Martinez springs to his feet to claim the loose ball ahead of Duke.
SO CLOSE 🤯
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) June 15, 2023
Martinez makes a huge save onto the post to deny Mitch Duke from close range 🧤@Socceroos getting back into it on Paramount+ 📺
🇦🇷 #ARGvAUS 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/fkXPTUAnbc
Updated
24 min Messi curls a simple pass out to Acuna on the left, and the crowd go wild. Acuna plays in the underlapping Gonzalez, whose cutback towards Mac Allister is turned behind for a corner by Rowles (I think). Whoever it was, it was good near-post defending.
23 min Bos combines beautifully down the left with McGree, whose teasing cross evades Maclaren and Duke in the middle. That was more promising though, Australia’s best attack so far.
22 min It’s a more even game now, with the Socceroos starting to get their feet under the table. Argentina still look so dangerous in transition though.
19 min Duke turns Romero superbly on the halfway line and reverse a pass into Maclaren. He runs at a backpedalling defence but has no support and is eventually tackled 25 yards from goal.
17 min De Paul’s clipped pass into the area is chested off neatly by Gonzalez towards Mac Allister. He is about to belt the bouncing ball towards goal from eight yards when Rowles makes a crucial block tackle.
16 min There’s a huge roar every time Messi touches the ball, even if it’s just a routine pass on the halfway line. I haven’t heard such mania since Bros were in their imperial phase.
Updated
15 min Australia’s 4-2-2-2 formation means they need width from their full-backs, so that was a promising run from Atkinson. But in truth, it’s been a bit of an exhibition from Argentina so far.
13 min A promising Australia attack ends with McGree overhitting a return pass to the overlapping Atkinson.
11 min Ahem. Well, I thought Australia were having an even share of possession but a TV graphic says the percentages so far are Argentina 83-17 Australia. That doesn’t feel right to me.
10 min: Chance for Messi! This is exhilarating stuff from Argentina. Di Maria, on the right, slips a lovely ball down the side of the Socceroos defence to put Messi through on goal. The angle is very tight and he slices it into the side netting with his right foot.
Just before that, Messi almost had another shooting chance on the edge of the area after a fine run down the left by Gonzalez.
9 min Here’s that Messi goal, and I don’t know what else to say.
MESSI WITHIN MINUTES 🐐
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) June 15, 2023
A deadly giveaway at the back and Lionel Messi curls his shot into the back of the net 🥅
Watch 🇦🇷 #ARGvAUS 🇦🇺 live now on Paramount+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/qHijuVaMij
7 min Australia have actually had a lot of the ball in the first few minutes. But when they lose it, Argentina are on them in a flash. Both the goal and the Mac Allister chance came from quick turnovers.
5 min: Chance for Mac Allister! Argentina are putting on a show. Messi lobs a clever pass over Souttar to release Mac Allister, who moves to the edge of the area and then blooters a rising drive over the bar.
4 min Poor Aiden O’Neill was staggering all over the place there, trying to get across to cover Messi. A simple dummy sent him to the turf, and from then, even though Messi was still outside the area, it was almost a routine finish. We’ve seen him whip those curling shots past goalkeepers and inside the left-hand post on so many occasions.
It was a classic Messi goal, flashed into the net from from just outside the area. Leckie slipped over 40 yards from his own goal, allowing Fernandez to move forward and give the ball to Messi in space. He dummied O’Neill on the edge of the D, with O’Neill also falling over, and simply curled the ball past Ryan at the near post like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Updated
GOAL! Argentina 1-0 Australia (Yep 2)
Lionel Messi scores after 80 seconds!
Updated
1 min Peep peep! Lionel Messi, the man everyone has come to see, gets the match under way. Argentina are kicking from left to right as we watch; both teams are in their home strips.
We’re running a few minutes late. Either that or I’m getting the footage on delay. As I type, the captains Lionel Messi and Mat Ryan are exchanging pleasantries.
The players line up for the anthems. As Graham Arnold said, there are ‘Messi 10’ shirts everywhere in the crowd.
Updated
The pre-match thoughts of Graham Arnold
Watch the full chat as @Michael_Zappone caught up with Arnie 💼
— Paramount+ Australia (@ParamountPlusAU) June 15, 2023
Could a switch in formation combined with a bit of 'Aussie DNA' get the job done against Argentina? 🧬#ARGvAUS pic.twitter.com/DaSfRGf6Wx
Presented without comment
TIME FOR ROUND 2. 🔔🥊 #ARGvAUS #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/gqRyHncZnp
— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) June 15, 2023
But while it’s not the World Cup, there is a trophy on offer tonight.
The prize we’re playing for tonight… 🏆 #ARGvAUS #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/mM1D8MoHvs
— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) June 15, 2023
Updated
The Socceroos are paying tribute to the pioneering Rale Rasic, who died last week aged 87.
A special touch added to our warm-up strip tonight 💚💛
— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) June 15, 2023
A gesture of our collective appreciation for Rale Rasic, who overcame countless challenges, broke down barriers and forged a legacy for the Socceroos that lives on to this day 🙌#ARGvAUS #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/rVDRASENy5
You can see the strut on the Argentina players, even in a still image. It’s as if they’re world champions or something.
🏆 #AmistosoInternacional
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) June 15, 2023
La Selección @Argentina ya se encuentra en el estadio 🏟️
⏱ Desde las 9, 🇦🇷 vs. 🇦🇺
¡Arrancamos el día con la #Scaloneta! 💪 pic.twitter.com/x1HtPISlRe
Updated
3 December 2022: Argentina 2-1 Australia
I’m sure most of you have a vivid memory of the game in Qatar. But if you want to relive it, here are some highlights. Even now, when you know exactly what’s going to happen, Aziz Behich’s run still stirs the blood.
Updated
Graham Arnold’s thoughts on the game
I want do better than what we did against Ecuador, you know, and I thought that three halves out of the four against Ecuador were very good. And again, it’s about bringing these kids into the environment and giving them this opportunity. Because unless you give those opportunities in life, you never know what will happen.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for all of us. And, you know, as I said, the fact that we’re playing against the world champion straight after a World Cup is a one off, I don’t think it’s ever happened before for the Socceroos and Argentina had a big role to play in that to play against us.
Team news: Bos and O'Neill start
There are four changes to the Socceroos side that faced Argentina in the last 16 of the World Cup. Nathaniel Atkinson, Jordy Bos, Aiden O’Neill and Jamie Maclaren replace Milos Degenek, Aziz Behich (no barnstorming runs today), Aaron Mooy and Jackson Irvine.
Atkinson (6), Bos (1) and O’Neill (2) have only nine caps between them, so
Argentina have picked a similar team to the one that beat Australia in Qatar, with just two changes up front. Angel Di Maria and the exciting Nico Gonzalez of Fiorentina replace Julian Alvarez and Papu Gomez.
Argentina (4-3-3) Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuna; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Di Maria, Messi, Gonzalez.
Substitutes: Benitez, Rulli, Medina, Tagliafico, Paredes, Pezzella, Alvarez, Palacios, Almada, Ocampos, Rodriguez, Lo Celso, Simeone, Balerdi, Garnacho.
Australia (4-2-2-2) Ryan; Atkinson, Souttar, Rowles, Bos; O’Neill, Baccus; Leckie, McGree; Maclaren, Duke.
Substitutes: Strain, Metcalfe, Hrustic, Borrello, Glover, Genreau, King, Devlin, Gauci, Robertson, Stensness, Circati.
📋 Our team is IN for tonight's clash with 🇦🇷
— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) June 15, 2023
🏟️ Workers' Stadium, Beijing
⚽ 10pm AEST (8pm local)
📺💻📱: Channel 10 (10 Bold in SA, WA, NT), 10 Play & Paramount+ #ARGvAUS #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/tGF9zpWEoh
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Argentina v Australia in Beijing. In name, this is just another international friendly. In nature, it means all things to all people. To some it’s a chance for the Socceroos to gain a form of revenge for their defeat to the eventual world champions in Qatar (it feels like yesterday that Garang Kuol was denied by Emi Martinez; in fact it was 194 days ago).
To others it’s the first of two vital opportunities – the other is at Wembley in October – for Graham Arnold to assess his young side ahead of the Asian Cup in January and then World Cup qualification. And to those in Beijing, it’s a chance to see Lionel Messi play football again, probably for the final time on their shores.
This is by far Argentina’s toughest game since that astonishing World Cup final, though that isn’t saying that much. In March they beat Panama 2-0 and Curacao 7-0, with Messi scoring the goals he needed to reach a century for his country. Next week they play Indonesia. I’m not sure what the moral of this particular story is.
Tonight is about the future as well the Messi. There are some exciting new(ish) faces in both squads, including Aiden O’Neill and Alejandro Garnacho. We’ll have the team news any second now.
Kick-off 8pm in Beijing, 10pm AEST, 1pm BST.
THE REMATCH. 👊🔥
— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) June 14, 2023
🆚 @Argentina
🏟️ Workers' Stadium, Beijing
⚽ 10pm AEST (8pm local)
📺💻📱: Channel 10 (10 Bold in SA, WA, NT), 10 Play & Paramount+ #ARGvAUS #Socceroos pic.twitter.com/uBDbfaNjVo
Updated
