A goal by Juanda Fuentes, Barça Atlètic striker, gave Colombia the 1-0 victory over Argentina this Friday, early Saturday morning in Spain, in the last day of Group A of the South American Sub’20, a result with which the coffee growers qualified for the final phase and the Albiceleste, led by former Barça player Javier Mascherano, was eliminated.
At the Pascual Guerrero stadium in Cali, Argentina failed and the host team gave them the final blow with a goal from Fuentes, who had goalkeeper Franco Herrera as an accomplice.
With this result, the Colombians finished in second place in Group B with 8 points, two less than Brazil, which added 10, and one more than Paraguay, which finished with 7. Argentina was fourth with three, while Peru was last without points.
Javier Mascherano, killed during the Colombia-Argentina
Colombia seized the initiative in the opening minutes under the leadership of midfielder Daniel Luna, but Argentina wrested the ball from the hosts and tried to close in on Luis Marquinez’s goal.
Mascherano’s team, driven by the need to win, did not find much depth but relied heavily on sparks from Newell’s Old Boys winger Brian Aguirre and Real Madrid Castilla midfielder Nico Paz.
In one of those the clearest came from the Albiceleste, as Aguirre sent a cross pass to Axel Encinas and the winger took a shot that went over the crossbar.
Luna leaves injured
Colombia suffered a blow in the game when Luna, who was the player who gave clarity to the team, was injured at minute 35 after receiving several strong fouls from his rivals.
In the second half, the coffee team was the first to approach in a counterattack led by Alexis Castillo Manyoma that enabled Fuentes, who took a very strong left-footed shot that Herrera saved.
However, the hosts withdrew and began to play very close to the goal of Marquinez.
That was how the Albiceleste approached the goal with shots from players like Paz that were saved, without much trouble, by the local goalkeeper.
Goal Herrera’s mistake in the goal
In the 74th minute, when Argentina had already lost some of its momentum and the game had fallen into a rut, Fuentes scored.
The Barça Atlètic striker received a pass from Castillo Manyoma on the edge of the box, turned and fired an unpromising shot that went into the back of the net because goalkeeper Herrera couldn’t catch it and it went between his legs.
The annotation was lapidary. Mascherano’s team ended up losing momentum and in the end Colombia held on and will be in the final hexagonal with Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay waiting for Chile, Venezuela and Ecuador to define the last two classified in group B on Saturday.
