A header goal from Luciano Gondou earned Argentina's qualification for Paris-2024 soccer this Sunday by deciding a 1-0 victory against Brazil on the last day of the South American Olympic Qualifiers, which leaves its archrival, winner of the gold in Rio, eliminated. 2016 and Tokyo-2020.
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Gondou, who had been key coming off the bench for the team coached by Javier Mascherano, this time started at the Brígido Iriarte stadium, in Caracas, and scored in the 78th minute after an impeccable cross from left back Valentín Barco. It was the Argentinos Juniors forward's fourth goal in this Under-23 tournament.
Argentina goes on to dominate the final home run, with five points, ahead of Paraguay, with four, Brazil, with three, and Venezuela, with one.
In the second hour, Paraguayans and Venezuelans decide the second Olympic place at stake in this competition, in a duel in which the Guaraníes benefit from a draw.
Argentina will now seek a third title in men's soccer at the Olympic Games after those won in Athens-2004 and Beijing-2008.
“We have played a great championship and we have been superior in our matches, although there were results that were not given to us,” said Mascherano in a press conference, who avoided talking about the possibility of the Olympic team being led by the senior coach, Qatar 2022 World Cup champion Lionel Scaloni. “Very happy with what we have had to live.”
Fear of error
The bet of the two South American giants had a clear script in this life or death commitment: Argentina took control of the ball and Brazil waited to counterattack, looking for Mauricio and Guilherme Biro on the wings and Endrick at the top. The coach of the Seleçao, Ramon Menezes, surprised with the substitution of John Kennedy.
Thiago Almada, in a free kick, crashed the ball into the left post of Mycael's goal in the 15th minute, in the best of the opportunities of the match in the first half.
The game was thick. The fear of error was evident.
Brazil remained firm in Menezes' plan, although Endrick was well marked; Argentina held the ball with Almada in the lead, but could not do any damage in the last quarter of the field.
Gondou, crucial
Shortly after the break, in the 48th minute, Gondou threatened with a header.
Spaces appeared. Menezes brought on John Kennedy and Gabriel Pec to try to gain weight in the attack. Kennedy, in the 61st minute, led a counterattack that was finally effective, but Pec failed with everything in his favor.
The albiceleste response was forceful and, in that push, a center telegraphed into the area by Barco was connected by Gondou.
With Brazil collapsed, the defeat could have been greater.
“It was not a happy ending,” Menezes lamented. “It's frustrating. Everyone here is suffering a lot from what happened.”
Argentina, despite harsh questions to Mascherano along the way, is an Olympian. The coach, at once, said he hopes that Lionel Messi will be one of the reinforcements in Paris-2024: “he has the doors open.”
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