Five things we learned as Argentina beat Paraguay in Copa America

The win helped the La Albiceleste extend their unbeaten run to 16 games.

In a fierce encounter in Rio de Janeiro, Argentina edged past Paraguay to remain unbeaten in Copa America 2021 on Tuesday early morning. Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez’s early strike was enough to hand Lionel Scaloni’s men the victory.

However, Paraguay performed a different ball.-game as they dominated the proceedings in majority of the phases against Argentina. Let’s take a quick look at the five takeaways from the game.

5. Are Paraguay the dark horses from Group A?

Eduardo Berizzo’s men began their Copa America campaign with a resounding win over Bolivia. Los Guaraníes showed a brilliant demeanor as a team and sent out a warning to the other sides.

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Against Argentina too, they looked lethal on multiple fronts and came inches close to scoring on many occasions. However, they were let down by poor decision-making in the final third. Paraguay dominated the game in terms of ball possession, total attempts as well as passing accuracy.

It’s commendable how they held their own against a side like Argentina. That shows what they are capable of and cannot be taken for granted in the upcoming fixtures.

4. Was the VAR’s decision to write off Paraguay own goal, correct?

Argentina almost went into the half-time with a two-goal lead. Junior Alonso deflected the ball into his own net after Papu Gomez delivered a dangerous cross inside the box. However, VAR eventually disallowed the goal citing offside.

In the run up to Gomez’s cross, Angel Di Maria had attempted a shot on goal. Paraguay goalkeeper Antony Silva parried it away. But at the same time, it appeared that Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero were both offside and hence, the referee overturned his initial decision.

Naturally, Argentina players confronted the referee for his contentious call as neither Messi nor Aguero had attempted the rebound from Di Maria’s blocked shot. But it was to no avail as the referee had already blown the whistle for offside. Ideally, if neither of the attackers interfered with the play while being in an offside position, the goal should have stood.

3. The rise of Papu Gomez

From being Atalanta’s talismanic attacker to adding to Sevilla’s cavalry, Papu Gomez has had a wonderful time previous half a decade. In his presence, Atalanta turned into a regular top four contender from a mere relegation-bound side. During this time, he also earned a call-up to the national team.

Gomez’ versatility to play in any attacking position makes him a go-to player for any coach. His brilliant ball control and dribbling skills coupled with excellent pace and work-rate simply make him stand out from others.

Against Paraguay, he was a constant threat in the left wing. Apart from scoring a wonderful finish early in the game, he almost forced an own goal before the break. His solid form will turn out to be the key to Argentina’s success in Copa America 2021.

2. Miguel Almiron-Angel Romero duo is key to Paraguay’s success?

Angel Romero was Paraguay’s Man-of-the-Match in their victory against Bolivia in the previous game. Playing from the left wing, the 28-year-old scored a quickfire brace and was simply unstoppable.

On the other hand, Miguel Almiron played as No. 10 and assumed the role of Paraguay’s primary creator. He delivered a couple of key passes and his creativity in the attack was absolutely thrilling.

Against Argentina, the duo started from either of the wings. Almiron constantly attempted to break in from the left wing and drew fouls in dangerous areas. Meanwhile, Romero delivered three key passes in the final third and even had a shot on target blocked by the goalkeeper.

Argentina were fortunate to have handled the duo’s resilience, but not all teams from Group A can. It will be fascinating to watch how Berizzo makes use of the dynamic duo in the upcoming games.

1. Can Argentina finally break their trophy drought?

With the win over Paraguay, Argentina are now unbeaten in their last 16 games in all competitions. In fact, their last defeat dates back to 2019 when they lost to Brazil in Copa America 2019 semi-final.

In this edition, Argentina seem to be in better position to clinch the title. Interestingly but obviously, Messi has been the centre of attraction for the team in every game so far. However, players like Papu Gomez, Angel Di Maria and Guido Rodriguez are the ones that have had a great impact on the team.

Defensively too, the side looks sturdy and with Emiliano Martinez between the sticks, Scaloni must be breathing a sigh of relief. La Albiceleste have a relatively more potent squad this time. Together, they look like a team that has played many competitive tournaments.

That certainly is a good sign and thus, the fans will have realistic expectations. Will Argentina finally break their trophy jinx? Only time will tell.

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