A Juanda Fuentes goal eliminated Argentina from Mascherano

A goal by Juanda Fuentes, Barça Atlètic striker, gave Colombia a 1-0 victory over Argentina on Friday, early Saturday morning in Spain, on the final day of Group A of the South American Sub’20, a result which the coffee growers qualified for the final stage and the Albiceleste, led by former Barça player Javier Mascherano, were eliminated.

At the Pascual Guerrero stadium in Cali, Argentina fell short and it was the host team who dealt them the final blow with a goal from Fuentes, assisted by goalkeeper Franco Herrera.

With this result, the Colombians finished in second place in Group B with 8 points, two less than Brazil, who added 10, and one more than Paraguay, who finished with 7. Argentina is fourth with three, while Peru was last without a point.

Colombia took the initiative in the opening minutes led by midfielder Daniel Luna, but Argentina wrested the ball from the hosts and tried to close out Luis Marquinez’s goal.

Mascherano’s team, driven by the need to win, could not find depth but relied heavily on sparks from Newell’s Old Boys winger Brian Aguirre and Real Madrid Castilla midfielder Nico Paz.

In one of the clearest came from the Albiceleste, as Aguirre sent a cross pass to Axel Encinas and the winger took a shot that went over the crossbar.

Luna left wounded

Colombia suffered a blow in the game when Luna, who was the team’s key player, was injured in the 35th minute after receiving several heavy fouls from his rivals.

In the second half, the coffee team was the first to come close with a counterattack led by Alexis Castillo Manyoma who enabled Fuentes, who took a powerful left-footed shot that Herrera saved.

However, the hosts pulled back and started to play close to Marquinez’s goal.

That’s how the Albiceleste came close to the goal with shots from players like Paz being saved, without much trouble, by the local goalkeeper.

Goal Herrera’s mistake in the goal

In the 74th minute, when Argentina had lost some momentum and the game fell into a rut, Fuentes scored.

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The Barça Atlètic striker received a pass from Castillo Manyoma on the edge of the box, turned and fired a volley that went into the back of the net as goalkeeper Herrera couldn’t reach it and landed between his foot

The annotation is lapidary. Mascherano’s team lost momentum and in the end Colombia stayed and is in the last hexagonal with Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay waiting for Chile, Venezuela and Ecuador to determine the last two classified in group B on Saturday.