Argentina got its Olympic men’s football campaign back on track at the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics by beating Iraq 3-1 on Saturday in Lyon.
Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favourites, suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Morocco in its Group B opening game marred by a pitch invasion from Moroccan fans and a two-hour delay.
While Iraq threatened to pull off another surprise when Aymen Hussein levelled the game in first-half stoppage time, goals from Luciano Gondou and Ignacio Fernandez sealed victory for Argentina.
Thiago Almada, whom Argentina coach Javier Mascherano said had a watch stolen when the team’s training base was robbed earlier this week, opened the scoring with a volley in the 14th minute at Stade de Lyon.
But Hussein’s header in the fifth minute of first half-time added time evened the game before the break.
Gondou’s far-post header in the 62nd restored Argentina’s lead and Fernandez curled in a long-range shot from the edge of the box in the 85th.
The win leaves Argentina level with Iraq and Morocco on three points.
Spain reached the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic in Bordeaux.
Goals from Fermín Lopez, Alex Baena and Miguel Gutierrez made it two wins from two for Spain in Group C.
Lopez — one of Barcelona’s rising stars — scored in the 24th, but Angel Montes de Oca evened the game in the 38th.
Baena restored Spain’s lead in the 55th and Gutierrez sealed it in the 70th.
Spain’s men are aiming to add to a golden period for its nation’s soccer teams after the women’s team won the World Cup last year and the men won the European Championship earlier this month.
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