Giovanni Simeone scored twice and missed a penalty as Argentina Under-20s coasted past Paraguay 3-0 in the South American Youth Championship, booking their place in the upcoming World Cup with ease.
The River Plate youngster was the beneficiary early of a superb solo move from Ángel Correa. With 18 minutes on the clock the forward danced through Paraguay’s back-line, before a low shot forced Tomás Echagüe to parry. Simeone was on hand to knock in the rebound, giving the Albiceleste a perfect start.
Paraguay had beaten Humberto Grondona’s charges during the first round, but never looked like causing another upset. Gio could have doubled the advantage, but this time was foiled by Echagüe who stopped a tame penalty in the final stages of the first half after Tomás Martínez had been taken down in the area.
The Albiceleste, however, quickly added a second after the interval. Vélez Sarsfield midfielder Leo Rolón let loose with a stunner from outside the box that left the Albirroja keeper with no chance, just four minutes into the half.
And Simeone was on hand 15 minutes from the end to kill off the game as a contest, running on to Facundo Monteseirin’s fine lofted pass and converting with his left foot to hit his ninth of the championship. That mark equalled Luciano Galletti’s record set in 1999 as the highest Argentine scorer in the tournament’s history.
Grondona’s youngsters were hit by the late sending off of Rolón, ruling the midfielder out for the last game against Uruguay, but were otherwise untroubled as they kept up their unbeaten record during the final stage. With three wins and a draw, the Albiceleste currently lead by three points, although Uruguay could draw level at the top with a win later on against Colombia.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald