Argentina on brink after Almada strike sinks Uruguay
MONTEVIDEO: Argentina edged to the brink of qualification for the 2026 World Cup on Friday after a superb strike from Thiago Almada earned them a 1-0 victory over Uruguay in Montevideo.
The reigning world champions looked to be headed for a draw after a tense tussle against a Uruguay side who defeated the Argentinians 2-0 in Buenos Aires earlier in qualifying.
But Argentina grabbed all three points with a moment of magic that stunned Montevideo's Estadio Centenario.
Gathering the ball on the edge of the area, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder took a touch and uncorked a ferocious strike that flew into the top corner beyond the dive of Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet.
The only blemish for Argentina on an otherwise solid night's work came deep into stoppage time when Nicolas Gonzalez was dismissed after catching Uruguay defender Nahitan Nandez with a high boot in a rash challenge.
Nevertheless that late red card could not take the gloss off the evening for Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who praised his team's response to losing Messi to injury.
- 'A complete match' -
"How can I not be satisfied?" Scaloni said following the win. "Not just for the result -- but for how they gave it their all. The satisfaction comes from the fact that the team played a complete match.
"When one player is missing, another comes in (...) we have enough to go out onto the field calmly, but the team is there."
The win means Argentina can become the first South American team to book their place at next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a victory over arch-rivals Brazil in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.
The world champions now lead the 10-team South American qualifying competition with 28 points from 13 games, leaving them six points ahead of Ecuador in second, with Brazil third on 21 points.
Uruguay are fourth in the standings with 20 points from 13 games, just ahead of fifth-placed Paraguay on goal difference.
Friday's victory ensures that Argentina can finish no worse than seventh place, meaning they are assured of at least a spot in an inter-confederation playoff.
The top six teams in the standings qualify automatically for the World Cup.
In Friday's other South American qualifier, Ecuador boosted their chances of reaching the finals with a 2-1 win over Venezuela.
Two goals from veteran striker Enner Valencia sealed the points for Ecuador, who are bidding to qualify for the World Cup for the fifth time in the nation's history.
Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece saluted his team's performance but cautioned against complacency as they close in on a World Cup berth.
"When things are going well, like today when we've won three games in a row, we have to be cautious, calm, humble, and have a lot of discipline to continue growing in what's coming up," Beccacece said. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Ancient Myanmar ball game battles for survival in troubled nation
Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. "Once you get into playing the game you forget everything," says 74-year-old Win Tint. "You concentrate only on your touch and you concentrate only on your style." Chinlone is Myanmar's national game and dates back centuries. Branded a blend of sport and art, it is often played to music and is typically practised differently by men and women. This photo taken on May 8, 2025 show a man weaving cane into a chinlone ball, used in the ancient Myanmar game considered a blend between sport and art, at a workshop in Hinthada township in the Irrawaddy delta region. Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. - To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP) / To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY Male teams in skimpy shorts stand in a circle using stylised strokes of their feet, knees and heads to pass the ball in a game of "keepy-uppy", with a scoring system impenetrable to outsiders. Women play solo like circus performers -- kicking the ball tens of thousands of times per session while walking tightropes, twirling umbrellas and perching on chairs balanced atop beer bottles. Teen prodigy Phyu Sin Phyo hones her skills at the court in Yangon, toe-bouncing a burning ball while spinning a hula-hoop -- also on fire. "I play even when I am sick," says the 16-year-old. "It is important to be patient to become a good chinlone player." But play has plunged in recent years, with the Covid-19 pandemic followed by the 2021 military coup and subsequent civil war. Poverty rates are shooting up and craftsmen face increasing problems sourcing materials to make balls. But the rising and falling rhythm of the game offers its practitioners a respite. "When you hear the sound of kicking the ball it's like music," Win Tint, vice-chairman of the Myanmar Chinlone Federation, told AFP. "So when you play chinlone, you feel like dancing." - 'Play day is happy' - Different versions of the hands-free sport known as "caneball" are widely played across Southeast Asia. In Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia players kick and head the ball over a net in the volleyball-style "sepak takraw". In Laos it is known as "kataw" while Filipinos play "sipa" -- meaning kick. In China, people kicking around weighted shuttlecocks in parks is a common sight. Myanmar's iteration dates back 1,500 years, according to popular belief. Some cite a French archaeologist's discovery of a replica silver chinlone ball at a pagoda built in the Pyu era of 200 BC to 900 AD. It was initially practised as a casual pastime, a fitness activity and for royal entertainment. But in 1953 the game was given rules and a scoring system, as part of an effort to codify Myanmar's national culture after independence from Britain. This photo taken on May 13, 2025 shows players taking part in a game of the traditional Myanmar sport of chinlone at a court in Yangon. Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. - To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP) / To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY "No one else will preserve Myanmar's traditional heritage unless the Myanmar people do it," said player Min Naing, 42. Despite the conflict, players still gather under motorway overpasses, around street lamps blighted with wartime blackouts and on dedicated chinlone courts -- often ramshackle open-sided metal sheds with concrete floors. "For a chinlone man, the day he plays is always a happy day. I am happy, and I sleep well at night," says Min Naing. "On the days I don't play it, I feel I am missing something." - 'Respect the chinlone' - But Win Tint is concerned that participation rates are falling. "I worry about this sport disappearing," says master chinlone ball maker Pe Thein, toiling in a sweltering workshop in Hinthada, 110 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of Yangon. "That's the reason we are passing it on through our handiwork." Cross-legged men shave cane into strips, curve them with a hand crank and deftly weave them into a melon-sized ball with pentagonal holes, boiled in a vat of water to seal its strength. "We check our chinlone's quality as if we're checking diamonds or gemstones," adds the 64-year-old Pe Thein. "As we respect the chinlone, it respects us back." This photo taken on May 8, 2025 shows Mg Kaw, owner of a production workshop for chinlone balls, used in the ancient Myanmar game considered a blend between sport and art, in Hinthada township in the Irrawaddy delta region. Mastering control of the rising and falling rattan chinlone ball teaches patience, says a veteran of the traditional Myanmar sport -- a quality dearly needed in the long-suffering nation. - To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP) / To go with 'MYANMAR-SPORT-CULTURE-CONFLICT-CHINLONE,FOCUS' by Lynn MYAT and Hla-Hla HTAY Each ball takes around two hours to make and earns business-owner Maung Kaw $2.40 apiece. But supplies of the best-quality rattan he covets from nearby Rakhine are dwindling. There is fierce fighting in the state between the military and opposition groups that now control almost all of it. Farmers are too fearful to plunge into the jungle battleground to cut cane, says Maung Kaw, endangering his profession. "It should not be that we have players but no chinlone makers," says the 72-year-old. "I want to work as well as I can for as long as I can." —AFP
Observer
3 days ago
- Observer
Griezmann to stay with Atletico Madrid until 2027
MADRID: France's 2018 World Cup winning forward Antoine Griezmann has extended his Atletico Madrid contract until 2027, the Spanish club announced on Monday. "Griezmann and Atletico have reached a deal to renew the French footballer's contract until June 30, 2027," said Atletico in a statement. Griezmann, 34, is Atletico's all-time top scorer with 197 goals over two spells at the club and his previous deal was due to run until 2026. The veteran forward has struggled for form in 2025, last finding the net in February as his team finished third in La Liga, ending the season trophyless. Griezmann, who scored in France's 2018 World Cup win over Croatia, signed for Atletico from Real Sociedad in 2014. The striker, who retired from international football last year, won the Europa League in 2018 and twice finished a Champions League runner-up with Atletico, before joining Barcelona in 2019. Griezmann struggled with the Catalan giants, winning only a Copa del Rey before returning to Atletico on loan in 2021, eventually making the switch permanent. Atletico and Griezmann will compete at the Club World Cup this summer in the United States, with their first match against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on June 15. — AFP
Observer
3 days ago
- Observer
Gauff and Andreeva sweep into French Open quarters
PARIS: Coco Gauff reached a fifth straight French Open quarter-final and was joined in the last eight by Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, with Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic also seeking last-eight spots on Monday. World number two Gauff brushed Russian 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova aside 6-0, 7-5 to step up her pursuit of a first Roland Garros crown, and second Grand Slam title. "It was tough. The whole match I think I played well to be honest," said Gauff, a losing finalist in Paris in 2022. Former US Open champion Gauff will play reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys or unseeded Hailey Baptiste in an all-American quarter-final. Sixth seed Andreeva also moved through in straight sets as she cut short an attempted fightback by hitting partner and ex-compatriot Daria Kasatkina to advance 6-3, 7-5. Kasatkina, ranked 17, is now playing for Australia after switching allegiance from her native Russia. "It was a hell of a match," said Andreeva. "Honestly I'm so so happy I won, I hate playing against her, we practise a lot and even practice is a torture for me." She is through to her second major quarter-final, having reached the last four at Roland Garros 12 months ago when she knocked out Aryna Sabalenka. The 18-year-old Andreeva is the youngest woman to reach back-to-back Roland Garros quarter-finals since Martina Hingis in 1997-98. She next plays either third-ranked American Jessica Pegula or France's last remaining player in Paris, Lois Boisson. World number 361 Boisson is the lowest-ranked competitor left in the draw. "Obviously... (Boisson's) going to have some crazy support," said 2024 US Open runner-up Pegula. "I think it will be fun. It will be cool to be a part of that." Sinner will seek to light up the night session as the top seed clashes with Andrey Rublev, and 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic will renew his rivalry with Cameron Norrie. Last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev also takes to the court against Tallon Griekspoor. Italy's Sinner will look to continue his quest to make it three Grand Slam titles in a row when he takes on Russian 17th seed Rublev. The pair have met nine times in their career with Sinner holding the edge with six wins to three, but the former world number five emerged the victor in their only previous meeting at Roland Garros at the same stage in 2022. Sinner retired injured from that encounter but should come into Monday's headline match in fine nick after limiting his time on court so far this tournament by winning all his matches in straight sets. However, his opponent has spent even less time playing after receiving a walkover past France's Arthur Fils in the third round. "I have to be very careful. Andrey is an incredible player. I have to be focused. He's rested. So let's see what's coming," said Sinner. Djokovic, a three-time French Open winner, will have the chance to rack up 100 victories at Roland Garros when he faces Britain's Norrie. — AFP
