Lionel Messi and Argentina toyed with a pretty decent Uruguay side on Monday to move another step closer to clinching a 2022 World Cup spot.
Messi had an unusual goal to become the first player to score 80 goals for a South American side and later showed his greatness in producing a goal that won’t see his name on the score sheet.
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Tottenham’s Giovani Lo Celso had two assists, Lautaro Martinez a goal and an assist, and Rodrigo de Paul also scored in the 3-0 win in Argentina.
The win, which saw six saves out of Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, underscores Argentina’s chances to make waves in what could be Messi’s final World Cup.
#EliminatoriasEnTyCSports ¡Gol de @Argentina! El tanto lo hizo Lionel Messi para poner el 1-0 ante @Uruguay. Miralo EN VIVO por @TyCSports y en EXCLUSIVA por https://t.co/6eSENGb6G0 acá: https://t.co/07Zn7gsTRb pic.twitter.com/wyM4buXvgO
— TyC Sports Play (@TyCSportsPlay) October 11, 2021
Argentina had 62 percent of the ball and put 10 of their 23 shots on target, but Martinez may be the side’s X-factor after making six saves on Uruguay’s 10 attempts.
Argentina is six points behind Brazil with both teams holding a match-in-hand against each other on the field. Its six-point lead over third-place Ecuador with eight left to play (seven for the field) is significant.
Here’s the play we referenced earlier. You don’t need to watch Messi, rather the pack of defenders who are sucked toward his dribble.
The pack is made more aesthetically pleasing by the pair of defenders moving with them to push the line further up the field, but Lautaro Martinez sticks with it and breaks in time to score the goal.
Argentina next hosts Peru on Wednesday.
#EliminatoriasEnTyCSports ¡Gol de @Argentina! El tanto lo hizo Lautaro Martínez para poner el 3-0 ante @Uruguay. Miralo EN VIVO por @TyCSports y en EXCLUSIVA por https://t.co/6eSENGb6G0 acá: https://t.co/07Zn7gsTRb pic.twitter.com/2XiFYjhfxv
— TyC Sports Play (@TyCSportsPlay) October 11, 2021