Uruguay Beat Argentina 2-1 at La Bombonera in First Match After Messi's Retirement as Álvarez Goal Falls Short
Uruguay beat Argentina 2-1 in an international friendly at La Bombonera (Estadio Alberto J. Armando) in Buenos Aires on Friday, November 13. It was Argentina's first match since Lionel Messi retired from international football. The game kicked off at 8 PM local time, which was early morning on November 14 in India.
The first half ended goalless. Julián Álvarez had a chance early on, but Argentina could not turn their territory into a goal. Uruguay, coached by Diego Forlán, went into the break level.
The breakthrough came right after the restart. In the 48th minute, Lisandro Martínez headed a ball clear. It struck Leonardo Balerdi and rolled into his own net. Uruguay led 1-0.
Five minutes later, Uruguay doubled the lead. Maximiliano Araújo scored in the 53rd minute from a corner. It was 2-0, and Argentina were in trouble.
Argentina got one back in the 73rd minute. Julián Álvarez, who plays for Atlético Madrid, scored after a pass from Gianluca Prestianni. That made it 2-1. Lionel Scaloni's side pushed for an equaliser, but Uruguay held on until the final whistle.
Here are the key numbers from the match:
| Metric | Argentina | Uruguay |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 72% | 28% |
| Shots | 18 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 6 | 3 |
| Corners | 6 | 3 |
| Fouls | 11 | 12 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 3 |
The numbers show how much of the match Argentina controlled. They had 72% of the ball and took 18 shots to Uruguay's four. They still lost. One Uruguay goal was an own goal, and the other came from a corner. Uruguay made the most of the few chances they had.
Messi played his last match for Argentina on October 6, a 3-0 win over Benin in Buenos Aires. The post-Messi era has now begun with a home defeat against a regional rival.
Argentina have one more friendly in this international window. They play Costa Rica on November 17 at the Mario Kempes Stadium in Córdoba. Uruguay play the Dominican Republic on the same day in Uruguay.