Venezuela hold Argentina to 1-1 draw on Messi’s return

Reuters

11 October, 2024, 12:05 pm

Closing modified: 11 October, 2024, 12:08 pm

Argentina were held to a 1-1 scheme towards Venezuela on Thursday in Lionel Messi’s return to global duty in the South The united states’s World Cup qualifiers.

Captain Messi, 37, completely recovered from an fracture sustained in the Copa The united states remaining towards Colombia in July, was colorful in developing Otamendi on a soaking moist pitch to begin the scoring 13 minutes after kick-off, which was delayed by half of an hour due to heavy rain.

Argentina goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, filling in for Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez, who is serving a two-match ban for offensive behaviour, produced a intelligent performance to delight in out Salomon Rondon’s first-half of efforts.

On the other hand, the determined Venezuelan striker equalised in the second half of with an distinctive header from a Yeferson Soteldo’s harmful to quick transfer his personnel to sixth in the standings with 11 capabilities.

Argentina sought a winner after boss Lionel Scaloni introduced Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Martinez 5 minutes from time, however the soggy pitch simplest elevated the World Cup winners’ shortcomings.

“It was an grotesque match. We might well presumably well not even fetch two passes in a row, the ball stopped as a result of water on the pitch. It’s complex to play in these cases, the pitch did not attend,” Messi told TyC Sports after the game.

“The finest cases for us to play is that there is a appropriate pitch, appropriate weather, that the ball runs. We build no longer quiz for a lot, pause we?” added defender Rodrigo De Paul.

Argentina remain high of the standings with 19 capabilities and have to serene face Bolivia on Tuesday, whereas Venezuela focus on with Paraguay.