Argentina bounced back from the chaos of their opening defeat in the Olympic men’s football to beat Iraq 3-1 on Saturday.
Argentina’s victory came after a tumultuous start to their campaign, having lost 2-1 to Morocco on Wednesday in a match marred by crowd trouble in Saint-Etienne. The South Americans had a late equalizer disallowed, and the final minutes were played in an empty stadium due to the disruption.
However, Javier Mascherano’s side registered their first win in Group B on Saturday. The result, coupled with Ukraine’s last-gasp 2-1 victory over Morocco, means all four teams in the section are now level on three points.
Argentina took the lead 14 minutes into the match in Lyon when Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez laid the ball off for Thiago Almada to fire in. Iraq drew level in first-half stoppage time as captain Aymen Hussein rose to head home. Argentina regained the lead just after the hour mark when Luciano Gondou, who had been on the pitch for barely two minutes, appeared unmarked at the back post to head in an inviting cross. The third goal came five minutes from time as Kevin Zenon laid the ball back for Ezequiel Fernandez of Boca Juniors to curl in from range.
“We need to look forward and focus on what we can control, which is playing football. That is what I suggested we do, play the better football,” said Mascherano, refusing to revisit the Morocco debacle.
France on Verge of Quarters
Morocco were caught by a 98th-minute sucker punch against Ukraine, who grabbed the victory when Oleh Fedor set up Ihor Krasnopir to score from close range. Ukraine had gone ahead midway through the first half through Dmytro Kryskiv but appeared in trouble when Volodymyr Saliuk pulled back Soufiane Rahimi in the box on the hour. Saliuk’s yellow card was upgraded to red on review, and Rahimi converted the penalty, his third goal of the tournament making it 1-1. Morocco were pushing for the winner with the extra man when Ukraine snatched the points.
In the last round of group games on Tuesday, Argentina will face Ukraine while Morocco meets Iraq.
Spain Through to Last Eight
Spain secured their passage to the last eight after claiming a second win in Group C, beating the Dominican Republic 3-1 in Bordeaux. Fermin Lopez gave Spain the lead, but the Dominican Republic equalized on 38 minutes when Angel Montes de Oca headed in at a corner. However, the Dominican Republic was reduced to 10 men in first-half stoppage time when captain Edison Azcona received his marching orders for kicking out at Pau Cubarsi. Spain made the extra player count after the break, with Alex Baena’s deflected strike restoring their lead before substitute Miguel Gutierrez tapped in on 70 minutes. Spain’s advancement was confirmed after Egypt beat Uzbekistan 1-0 in Nantes, with Ahmed Koka scoring the only goal early on.
Thierry Henry’s France team made it two wins from two in Group A, edging Guinea 1-0 in Nice with Freiburg full-back Kiliann Sildillia heading in a 75th-minute winner from Michael Olise’s cross. France is not yet through from Group A, where the United States thrashed New Zealand 4-1 in Marseille in the other game. The host nation still requires a point against New Zealand on Tuesday to guarantee progress.
Japan Secures Quarter-Final Berth
Japan, winners of this year’s Under-23 Asian Cup, secured a quarter-final berth with a dramatic 1-0 victory against Mali in Bordeaux. Rihito Yamamoto scrambled in the only goal in the 82nd minute, although Mali had a chance to equalize from a penalty deep in injury time. The spot-kick was awarded for a handball after a VAR review, but Cheickna Doumbia put it wide.
In Group D, Paraguay scored twice in stoppage time to beat Israel 4-2 in an entertaining game in Paris, with Marcelo Fernandez’s brace bookending the victory for the 2004 silver medallists.
Olympic Men’s Football Continues
As the Olympic men’s football tournament progresses, teams are battling for spots in the knockout stages, showcasing thrilling matches and standout performances. Stay tuned for more updates and highlights from this exciting competition.
