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Javier Mascherano: “With Brazil it is all or nothing”

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Coach Javier Mascherano spoke after the 3-3 draw vs. Paraguay and commented about the last game that is coming for Argentina in the Olympic qualifiers against Brazil.

Here is what he had to say in the post-game press conference about the last-minute draw vs. Paraguay:

“I value the hearts of the boys to tie even though we didn’t have the game we wanted. They fought until the end, and it is a positive balance.”

Mascherano has been receiving a lot of criticism from the fans throughout the whole tournament:

“We are one victory away from qualifying… Those who criticize me? Maybe they are lucky and I only have one game left… I’m not thinking about what they say about me; I’m trying to do my best.”

About the crucial match against Brazil coming for his team, Argentina’s U23 coach stated the following:

“It’s going to be a demanding match. That’s it, it’s the last one. It’s all or nothing. You have to think positively; we have already talked about it with the boys. After this game, there is nothing more. We will go to win from the beginning. We look at the other games’ results, but it doesn’t do much good to think about that. We focus on what we can handle.”

Argentina U23 team draw 3-3 vs. Paraguay

Roy Nemer
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The Argentina U23 team drew 3-3 against Venezuela.

Javier Mascherano’s team took an early 1-0 lead with Pablo Solari scoring just minutes into the match. Diego Gomez would draw Paraguay level.

Paraguay took the lead in the second half and Thiago Almada would draw level, scoring off a penalty kick. Enso Gonzalez scored in the 90th minute for Paraguay but Federico Redondo would prove to be the hero, scoring seven minutes into extra time.

Argentina are in second place and play Brazil in the final match.

Franco Mastantuono becomes River Plate’s youngest goal scorer

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Franco Mastantuono became River Plate’s youngest goal scorer, surpassing Javier Saviola’s record.

The 16-year-old scored his team’s second goal in their 3-0 win in the Copa Argentina. Via ESPN, Mastantuono also became the second youngest goal scorer in the history of Argentine football. Diego Maradona, who scored with Argentinos Juniors when he was 16 years and five days old, remains in first place, followed by Mastantuono, who now shares second place with Sergio Agüero. They both scored when they were 16 years and 177 days old.

The young Argentine has began to play with River Plate’s first team in 2024. Per reports, coach Martín Demichelis was pleasantly surprised with the player’s performance during the preseason training sessions and games.

After yesterday’s game, Mastantuono received the player-of-the-match award and said the following about his connection with the club:

“Since I arrived in River in 2019, every time I score a goal, I kiss the club’s badge. It was the club that put food on my table when I was a kid. It was a great emotion (When I scored), a lot of things went through my head, it made me want to cry. It is a dream that came true for me.”

As soon as Claudio Echeverri left to join Manchester City, another young player with huge potential appeared in River Plate.

Mauricio Pochettino praises Enzo Fernández goal: “He is a world champion”

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Mauricio Pochettino praised Enzo Fernández’s free-kick goal and performance in Chelsea’s 3-1 win vs. Aston Villa.

Here is what the Blues’ coach had to say about Enzo:

“It does not surprise me. Enzo has the ability to perform like that. He’s a world champion player.

“Look, when he signed one year ago, he arrived with no holidays, no rest, with the pressure, still young, different language, different culture. All these types of circumstances need time. Today, Enzo showed why he is here and his quality.”

On the win, Pochettino said the following:

“I am very pleased. First of all, because the players were fantastic. They enjoyed the game against a team that is doing fantastic, that is so difficult to beat here, full of confidence. That is why I am really, really pleased with the performance. It gives us the capacity to really believe.”

Enzo Fernández scores free kick for Chelsea in 3-1 win vs. Aston Villa

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Enzo Fernández scored from a free kick for Chelsea in their 3-1 win vs. Aston Villa in the 4th round of the FA Cup.

It was a tough week for the Blues and especially for coach Mauricio Pochettino after they conceded eight goals in two matches. The first was a 1-4 loss vs. Liverpool and a 2-4 vs. Wolves.

There have even been strong rumors about Enzo Fernández’s agents trying to find a new club for the young Argentine. But today it was a massive performance by Chelsea that can at least bring some relief after complicated days.

Ten days ago, these two teams had tied 0-0 at Stamford Bridge. This Wednesday they played the rematch at Villa Park, which made Aston Villa the favorite team in the preview.

After Chelsea scored the first two goals within 22 minutes, Fernández had his opportunity from a free kick. He shot with precision and power to the left top corner of Emiliano Martínez’s goal. Dibu dived but could not reach the ball and Enzo made it 3-0 for his team.

Fernández celebrated by taking off his jersey, which made him receive a yellow card, showing it to the Chelsea fans and making an “I will stay here” gesture. He had done something similar at Benfica when there were rumors about his departure and he ended up leaving the Portuguese club some weeks later.

With this win, Chelsea advanced to the round of 16 of the FA Cup, where they will face Leeds United.

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