“The feint he did was incredible” - Angel Di Maria lauds Argentina star’s role in his winning goal against Ecuador
Angel Di Maria was full of praise for Cristian Romero's assist in Argentina's 1-0 win against Ecuador in a friendly match on Sunday (June 9). The former Manchester United man scored the game's only goal in the 40th minute after some brilliant work on the edge of the box by the centre-half. Romero deceived the opposition's defender and rolled the ball into Di Maria's path, who calmly slotted the ball into the far corner.
Claiming that he wasn't expecting that from the Tottenham Hotspur defender, Di Maria said after the match (via @AlbicelesteTalk):
"I never thought he would pass it to me, the feint he did was incredible, haha. I'm happy with the goal and I think we played a great game."
Romero and his experienced Argentina teammate don't often combine to score goals for their country. Including this game, the pair have shared the pitch on 23 occasions for La Albiceleste across competitions, bagging two joint goal contributions in the process.
Lionel Scaloni's team are preparing for the Copa America, where they play the tournament's opener against Canada on Thursday, June 20. Lionel Messi did not start this friendly against Ecuador but came on in the 56th minute for Di Maria.
The experienced duo will be crucial to their country's chances after both left-footed attackers scored in the FIFA World Cup final in 2022 against France. Messi bagged two goals as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw to clinch the trophy.
Angel Di Maria's post-match reaction after Argentina beat Ecuador
Angel Di Maria did not downplay the importance of his team's friendly win against Ecuador on Sunday. The 36-year-old believes it was necessary to leave an impression early on, given they could come up against this team in the Copa America.
During the contest, Argentina enjoyed 65% possession and took 11 shots compared to the opposition's five. Di Maria and company took five shots on target while they faced none from the other side.
After the match, the former Real Madrid man said (via Mundo Albiceleste):
"Ecuador is an opponent that we can meet at the Copa America. We know that it is going to be more than a complicated tournament. Today was a good match to show how we are."
Di Maria has played 139 matches across competitions for Argentina, bagging 31 goals and 30 assists. He's won the Copa America once with his country, during the 2021 edition of this competition.