Argentina registered another stupendous victory in an international friendly, taking their unbeaten streak to 35 to match their arch-rival Brazil’s record. The Albiceleste comfortably overcame Jamaica on Tuesday evening, beating the Caribbean side 3-0 in front of a packed Red Bull arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
Argentina vs Jamaica: Match Report
Lionel Messi scored twice after coming from the bench in the second half to complete the scoreline at 3-0. But even without him in the first half, Argentina had shown real promise in front of the opposition.
2022 Argentina vs Jamaica
Argentina players celebrate after scoring a goal against Jamaica in a friendly match on September 27, 2022, Photo Courtesy: AP
Lionel Scaloni made some tactical adjustments for this contest in order to test his squad strength. One of the major decisions was to drop Messi from the starting XI. It was reported earlier that Messi has the flu and may not play in the match.
The formation was 4-3-3 with Emi Martinez, Angel Di Maria, and Nicolas Otamendi all in the starting XI. Argentina made a strong start by pushing towards the opposition defense and eventually found the net in the 13th minute thanks to Man City’s forward Julian Alvarez’s strike. Lautaro Martinez set up nicely for Alvarez, who just placed it at the back of the net.
Jamaica tried to make a comeback after that by attacking through two wings, but Argentina’s midfield was rock solid and couldn’t give them any real chance.
The crowds were waiting for Messi to come off the bench, and coach Scaloni didn’t disappoint the fans, giving him some match time by introducing the superstar in the 56th minute in place of Lautaro Martinez. Overall, Argentina made six changes, including Leo. So, a whole new attacking setup was seen in the Argentina side in the second half.
The second half was much more fluid for the Albiceleste thanks to Messi’s presence on the field. However, Argentina had to wait until the 86th minute to find their second goal. Messi made his trademark run after getting a through ball from Lo Celso and busted it to the left bottom corner of the goalpost from outside of the d-box. Just three minutes later, the Argentine captain scored his second goal of the evening through a well-placed free kick to the right bottom corner of the net from nearly 25 yards away.
Overall, Argentina dominated the game with 67% possession, 89% passing accuracy, 681 passes, and 17 shots on target.
Jamaica vs Argentina 2022
Messi celebrates after scoring a goal against Jamaica on September 27, 2022, Photo Courtesy: AP
Argentina tie Brazil’s unbeaten run record
With a victory over Jamaica, Argentina have remained undefeated in 35 matches. They only need 3 more wins to set a new world record for most matches without a defeat. However, by remaining 35 matches unbeaten, the Albiceleste have equaled their arch-rival Brazil’s record. The Selecao were unbeaten in 35 matches from December 1993 to January 1996.
Argentina will solely hold the record for the second-longest undefeated streak if they defeat the United Arab Emirates in their next international game on November 16. Here are the top five undefeated runs in men’s international football history.
Italy – 37 matches (October 10, 2018 – October 6, 2021)
Argentina – 35 matches (July 2, 2019 – Continue)
Algeria – 35 matches (November 18, 2018 – January 1, 2022)
Spain – 35 matches (February 2, 2007 – June 24, 2009)
Brazil – 35 matches (December 16, 1993 – January 21, 1996)
Bottom Line
Argentina finished its international fixtures in September with two well-deserved victories. More importantly, head coach Lionel Scaloni put several of his bench players to the test during these games, and the majority of them exceeded expectations. In addition, the Albiceleste rose to second place in the list of national men’s football teams with the longest undefeated streak by winning these games.
Source: United News of Bangladesh