Argentina U20 and Brazil U20 played to a tense 1-1 draw in Caracas, Venezuela, on Matchday 4 of the final hexagonal of the South American U20 Championship. With this result, the title race remains undecided and will be determined in the final round of matches.
Both teams entered the match with nine points after three consecutive victories, knowing that a win would secure the championship due to head-to-head tiebreaker rules. Argentina, having handed Brazil a historic 6-0 defeat in the group stage, started strong and dominated the first half.
Claudio Echeverri, the captain of La Albiceleste, broke the deadlock before halftime. After Breno Bidon fouled Julio Soler inside the box, Echeverri stepped up and converted the penalty with a panenka, giving Argentina the lead.
The second half saw a more balanced contest, with Argentina controlling play and limiting Brazil’s offensive threats. However, with only minutes left in the match, Brazil found their equalizer. Rayan latched onto a precise through ball on the right side, and with goalkeeper Jeremías Martinet failing to close the angle, he struck a low shot into the far corner to secure the draw.
With one match remaining, Argentina will face Paraguay, who sit on six points, while Brazil will take on Chile, who have only one point in the standings. Brazil holds a slight advantage in goal difference, meaning if both teams win their final games, the title will be decided by goal differential. The decisive matches are set for Sunday, with the kick-off times yet to be confirmed.
Agreed petro, the future is looking good for our boys in white and blue. The pibes are looking good and the older pibes like Paz, Garnacho, Simeone, Castro, Dominguez and even Soule / Buenonotte (hella talented but not having the best of moments) are all looking good, however, from experience it is the coaching that brings titles. Argentina always has talent and the 95, 97, 01, 03, 05 and 07 gen that won the U20 titles were all hella talented but won nothing because the coaching wasn’t up to it. Pekerman and Sabella were great coaches but neither of them stayed long enough to truely make a difference, while others like Loco and Tata were stiff and limited in their styles and tactics and still others like Bauza, Batista, Sampaoli were clowns. It took the Scaloni-Aimar-Ayala-Samuel team to really turn things around.
Placente is the one I’m watching most closely and I really hope he keeps up his excellent progress that started with u17 and do well at the u20 because he would be a good choice to replace Scaloni in 2026 (if Aimar and co. decide against staying after Scaloni leaves).
Pre scaloni Coaching was disaster. Major factor if not culprit if for all the trophless decades.
Team selection would not favour Young talents, If any were criminally overlooked with out putting poroper plan of integration and transition (1998 and 2002 and even 2006 that neglected Leo Messi could be cited). Besides, nearly all the coaches were mot making sound judgments in an optimal moments of substitions. (remember Pekernan subbed Riqueleme out in favour of Cambiaso and brought in J. Cruiz in liue of Leo Messi for Tevez/Saviola in 2006,while Sabella brought underperforming Aguero for Lavezzi). This is all wih out mentioning the Maradona madness in 2010. Poor selection, no game plan, and inheritted it from another disastrous coach-Baselli.
Future doesn’t look bad either. Winning it in 2021 against the Bananas in Maracana says it all. I nearly have lost count of all the trophies we won (left and right) since that day. Few teams ,if any at all, have that collection of trophies in just 03 years.
This youth tournament has given us a glimpse of bright future which for me is more than winning it. Plus, If a team we destroyed by almost half a dozen claims it, so be it. It doesn’t tell u the story nor the future.