After taking a two-goal lead, the game became easier for Argentina. Uruguay, on the other hand, had no retreat and could only increase its offensive intensity and strive to score an equalizer.
However, they are currently ranked second in the standings and have a high chance of qualifying, so they do not need to fight to the death with Argentina. Therefore, although Uruguay has increased its offensive intensity, it does not have the determination and will to fight back.
Although this will not often lead to Argentina's counterattack, their own offense will also be difficult to achieve results. Until the end of the first half, Uruguay failed to get even a single goal back.
After a 15-minute rest, the two sides changed sides and fought again in the second half. Uruguay replaced an offensive player and stepped up the offensive in an attempt to give it a try.
As a result, not only did they fail to score a goal, but they suffered another counterattack by Argentina in the 57th minute. Velarde, Di Maria, Messi, and Prato split the gap through passing and running during the counterattack. Uruguay's defense finally made a diagonal pass from Velarde to the left wing of the penalty area. Di Maria rushed up and volleyed the ball into the near corner.
Although goalkeeper Muslera was standing in the near corner, he was still unable to block all angles and could only watch the ball fly past his legs and into the goal.
Argentina completely sealed the victory, and Bauza began to make substitutions one after another, replacing Messi, Di Maria, Banega and others to rest.
Although Argentina did not score in the remaining time, Uruguay failed to regain even a point.
In the end, Argentina beat Uruguay 3-0 at home, winning the seventh round of the World Cup qualifying rounds and continuing to top the South American World Cup qualifying standings.
After this round of games, Ecuador, which lost again, has dropped to 6th place. From the first place to the sixth place now, Ecuador's high performance and low performance are really disappointing.
Therefore, it makes sense for the World Preliminaries to play a double round-robin. It's useless to perform well in a few games. You have to perform well for a long time to qualify.
For example, Brazil, although it encountered many difficulties in the early stage, has now risen to fourth place and has entered the direct qualifying zone (top four) in South America.
Five days later, on September 6, in the 8th round of the World Cup preliminaries, Argentina challenged Venezuela away from home at the Mérida Metropolitan Stadium.
Venezuela is currently ranked last, without a single victory, and can be called a score giveaway.
Naturally, Argentina would not let go of this good opportunity to gain points. They stepped onto the Mérida Metropolitan Stadium with great ambition, preparing to bloodbath Venezuela, take all three points and continue to expand their goal difference advantage.
Unexpectedly, Venezuela did not know what psychology it was due to. The previous World Cup preliminaries were very poor and they failed to win a game. However, in this game, they fought against Argentina. Both the state and fighting spirit were completely different from the previous games. Argentina once encountered great difficulties.
Although Argentina has three masters of dribbling and breakthrough in Messi, Di Maria, and Velarde, under the strong and united defense of Venezuela, Argentina just failed to score first and break the deadlock.
Instead, it was Venezuela. In the 35th minute, winger Aniol volleyed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, unexpectedly opening the door to Argentina.
The more than 40,000 home fans in the stands of Merida Metropolitan Stadium suddenly seemed to have won, and they clapped and cheered excitedly to celebrate.
They are last in the standings and have already been declared a failure in this world preliminaries. Argentina is the top club and has already booked a qualifying spot. Although they are at home, many Venezuelan fans do not believe that they can beat Argentina. They come to watch the game, firstly out of patriotic enthusiasm, and secondly to see the performances of Argentine superstars such as Messi, Velarde and Di Maria.
Unexpectedly, they unexpectedly scored first and led Argentina 1-0. This made all the Venezuelan fans at the scene and in front of the TV ecstatic, and the fans in the stands even started to wave. , celebrate grandly.
Naturally, Velarde and others felt embarrassed and launched a ferocious offensive in the next ten minutes or so. Velarde and Messi both staged several good plays in succession, but in the end they still could not score.
Either he was unable to completely break through the entire defense line, or he was unlucky when shooting and could not hit the door frame due to interference from his opponent, or he hit the door frame but at an awkward angle and was saved by the goalkeeper.
Until the end of the first half, Argentina failed to score even a goal to equalize the score. Venezuela just maintained the 1-0 score until the end of the first half.
This midfield score was so surprising. All the Venezuelans in the stadium sang loudly and celebrated as if they had won the game.
They knew that they would suffer Argentina's sharp counterattack in the second half, and there was a high probability that they would not be able to win. Therefore, it was expected that they would celebrate the 1-0 score at halftime.
In the visiting team's locker room, the atmosphere was not so joyful. As the world's No. 1 club, Argentina has won two consecutive Copa Americas and topped the World Qualifiers. However, Argentina was unable to break the goal of Venezuela, which is recognized as a weak opponent, in an away game. Instead, the opponent scored first, whether it was Velard, Messi, Di Maria, as well as other coaches and players, felt extremely embarrassed.
But head coach Bauza showed the true value of a coach at this time. He did not angrily ask the players to attack wildly in the second half, but reminded everyone that Venezuela in this game was in extraordinary condition and had great fighting spirit. It was not the usual situation. As everyone knows, Venezuela and Argentina must let go of their carelessness and play cautiously in the second half.
First of all, you cannot treat the opponent as a piece of fish that can be manipulated at will, attacking without hesitation, regardless of defense. Although the score was behind and they needed to score, Argentina had to focus on defense in the second half and could not be attacked by Venezuela.
The second is to take good defense before waiting for an opportunity to attack. Bauza said frankly that in terms of hard power, Argentina is not afraid of any team, not even Germany, Spain, or Brazil, let alone teams like Venezuela.
Therefore, as long as they defend well and then find opportunities to attack slowly, Argentina will definitely be able to break through Venezuela's goal, score a goal, and eventually turn defeat into victory.
But everyone must not be anxious when competing, and must be patient. Argentina currently ranks first in the standings. Even if they lose this game, it is not the end of the world. What's more, they only conceded one goal. As long as they don't concede more goals, it is possible to score even at the last second of the game.
Therefore, we must be patient and slowly grind out a war of attrition against Venezuela, which is in extraordinary form in this game. Argentina must be the final winner.
