The U-20 players celebrate Garnacho’s goal.
Javier Mascherano’s Argentine Under 20 national team, who are taking their first steps in training, beat Panama in the second match of the Maurice Revello International Tournament, which was called Esperanzas de Toulon. El Jefecito’s team, which had shown a good performance in their 1-0 debut against Saudi Arabia, achieved their second victory and lead their group in the tournament in France.
The youth teams continued on the road to victory thanks to a great collective game started in the middle of the field, in the first minutes of the second half. Sequence? It all started at the feet of the Rosario Central player, Facundo Buonanotte, who played for one of the team’s internationals, Matías Soulé, who plays in Juventus B, and the Turin player immediately discharged himself for Alejandro Garnacho who ran towards the goal and did not hesitate to kick from outside the area to pin the ball to the corner. Thus, the player who was chosen as the best Under 18 player in the Premier League confirms his great moment in the Argentine team.
Watch Garnacho’s great goal
Argentina are in Group A along with Arabia, France and Panama. The first round was completed with a goalless draw between the French and Panamanians, the Central Americans won the extra point, which is awarded in the event of a tie, with shots from the spot.
The national team leads the group with three units, Panama has two, France one and the Arabs have no points. Tomorrow in the second round, at 12:30 in our country, the Gauls will play against Arabia.
In the competition, won by Argentina in 1975 (with César Menotti as coach) and in 1998 (with José Pekerman) when it was called “Esperanzas de Toulon”, 12 teams compete in three groups, with the three group winners going to the semifinals and best second.
The Argentine team offers an advantage as all the selected are under 23 except Mascherano’s team, which is under 20, which is preparing for the South American in Colombia and the World Cup in Indonesia next year.
Argentina has a team with several players playing for clubs in Europe such as Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Luka Romero (Lazio), Nicolás Paz (Real Madrid), Matías Solé (Juventus), Tiago Geralnik (Villarreal) and Franco Carboni (Inter Milan).
On his debut against the Arabs, won with a goal by Velez Santiago Castro 10 minutes from time, Argentina showed a good game, with Mascherano clearly intent on giving him a “barcellonist” style, influenced by his time with the team Catalan led at that time by Pep Guardiola.
They have beaten Arabia well, with Luka Romero moving all over the front of the attack, with Garnacho playing on the left, with Soulé leading the way and adding Paz, they also have a safe defense consisting of Lautaro Di Lollo and Nahuel Genez del Boca, and an interesting work in the area by Gino Infantino, of Rosario Central, already with first-rate experience.
In the “must” of the Albiceleste team we can mention the lack of precision in defining and some incorrect deliveries coming out of the midfield that were not exploited by the Arabs but with strong rivals can cost dearly.
Panama gave the surprise on the first date by equaling France, winner of the tournament with 12 titles, followed by Brazil with 8 and England with 7, without goals and keeping the extra point
Source: Clarin
