Argentina 1-0 Uruguay: 5 talking points as Guido Rodriguez strike gives Albiceleste first win of the tournament | Copa America 2021
Argentina got their Copa America 2021 campaign up and running, following a 1-0 victory over well-rested Uruguay in Brasilia. Guido Rodriguez scored in the 13th minute, heading in a cross from captain Lionel Messi, which proved enough to seal all three points.
La Celeste, playing their first game of the tournament, were spearheaded by their prolific duo of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez. But they were lacklustre for most of the game.
In fact, the record Copa champions failed to muster a single effort on target. The 2011 champions felt they should've won a penalty in the first half when Cavani was hacked down inside the box.
It wasn't the most promising of starts for Uruguay, who will hope to find their feet against Chile in their next game on Monday. Meanwhile, Argentina will face Paraguay on the same day.
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Barcelona acting decisively in the transfer market; Manchester United working on Sancho, and more.
On that day, let's have a look at five major talking points from the match:
#1 Argentina's changes work
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni made a few changes to his line-up, which started in the opening game draw against Chile.
Guido Rodriguez, who came in for Leandro Paredes, made his inclusion count with an early strike. He latched onto a brilliant cross from Lionel Messi to break the deadlock and eventually seal the match.
However, there was little else to celebrate for the original hosts of the championship. Argentina fizzled out following a solid opening stanza, with only their captain doing most of the work. Their counter-attacking game left a lot to be desired too, and Argentina could've easily won against insipid Uruguay by a lot more.
#2 Uruguay denied a penalty in the first half
Having failed to test Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, Uruguay thought they should have got a penalty in the 27th minute. Edinson Cavani was brought down inside the area following a heavy challenge from Rodriguez, only for the referee to call for play to continue.
Uruguay were not happy with the decision, as it looked like a nailed-on penalty, but the VAR wasn't even consulted. Replays showed there was a clear denial of a goalscoring opportunity, and there should have been a spot-kick. So Uruguay would feel they were robbed of a point in the match.
Also Read: Paul Merson's column - Euro 2020: 5 surprise contenders for the Player of the Tournament award.