Midfielder Federico Redondo rescued Argentina this Thursday in the final quadrangle of the South American Olympic Qualifiers for Paris-2024, in Venezuela, with a goal in added time that decided a 3-3 draw with Paraguay.
When the Paraguayan team seemed to have one of the two tickets that this U-23 tournament gives to the Olympic Games in its pocket after a goal by Enso González on the verge of the end, Redondo scored in the 90+7 minute, from point-blank range, taking advantage of a confusion of the white-red defense and goalkeeper Ángel González.
Pablo Solari in the 3rd and Thiago Almada in the 84th, by converting a penalty caused by striker Luciano Gondou coming from the bench, scored the other two goals for the Albiceleste coached by Javier Mascherano in this match at the Brígido Iriarte stadium, in Caracas .
Diego Gómez from a free kick in the 42nd minute, Alan Nuñez in the 70th minute and Enso González in the 90th minute scored the Guarani goals.
Paraguay leads the final phase with four points in two presentations, followed by Argentina, with two.
The hosts Venezuela and Brazil face each other in the second hour.
The Venezuelans have a point and the Brazilians could not add in the opening of the final home run.
It was a match full of emotions, in which Carlos Jara Saguier’s Paraguay was on the verge of guaranteeing an Olympic place against an Argentina in trouble despite Solari’s very early goal, from a Cristian Medina center.
Mascherano’s men missed the projections on the left wing of the suspended Valentín Barco.
Diego Gómez equalized with a free kick that deflected off the barrier and dislocated goalkeeper González. It was his fourth goal in the Pre-Olympic.
Gómez himself assisted Alan Núñez so that Paraguay turned the score around and took advantage.
Mascherano decided to have Claudio ‘El Diablito’ Echeverri come in to support Almada in the creation zone and then gave the opportunity to Gondou, who has been a talisman for him.
Gondou was knocked down in the area and Almada did not hesitate to take the penalty, with his fifth goal in this event, equaling Luciano Rodríguez, from eliminated Uruguay.
And in a crazy shot, Enso González seemed to put Paraguay in Paris-2024 with a great finish after an error by Argentina at the start, but Redondo denied him and saved his team.
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