Argentina's Luck Holds to Put Copa America Campaign Back on Track

In La Serena on Tuesday evening, the Argentine national team deserved victory in a tense clash over Uruguay. But the country had also done more than enough to beat Paraguay in their Copa America opener before being pegged back to 2-2. 

The second match showed that Gerardo Martino's men had learned their lessons from the first match in Chile. Perhaps even more importantly, they also enjoyed that little slice of luck which can be so crucial when it comes to major international football tournaments. 

The Celeste, well-formed and solid as always under Oscar Tabarez, were on the back-foot almost as soon as the ball started rolling. The coach was determined not to take any risks, and indeed with a win over Jamaica behind Uruguay a share of the points would have been more than acceptable in the Group B clash. 

Argentina were allowed to dominate control of the ball, and invited to push ahead and try and break down the wall in front of Fernando Muslera. An overview of the average positions taken up by the Copa America holders shows a stunning fact: Midfield duo Alvaro Gonzalez and Egidio Arevalo playing almost on the same line as the two centre-backs, tucked inside, per Who Scored. 

Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press

In terms of possession, Martino's men enjoyed a dominant 69 percent over the course of the 90 minutes, although that number was even higher in the first half as Uruguay came out of their shell after Sergio Aguero's opener. The passes completed by the Albiceleste, 604, were more than twice the number shown by their rivals (278). Even so, on another day a different result could well have materialised. 

Goal's Ben Hayward railed against "cynical, ultra-defensive Uruguay" after the final whistle. The writer admitted, however, that the match was far from a foregone conclusion: "Uruguay made things incredibly difficult with their close marking, persistent fouls and deep-lying defence. For a while it seemed Argentina may be frustrated as they were when held to a goalless draw in the quarter-finals of the 2011 Copa, only to lose out on penalties then to the team coached by Oscar Tabarez."

The team captained by Lionel Messi finally made the breakthrough with a sparkling collective move that found the key to pulling down the Celeste bus. Javier Pastore and Pablo Zabaleta combined down the right to give Sergio Aguero the chance to open the scoring, and for the second time in four days El Kun gleefully took the opportunity to add a 28th goal to his Argentina collection. From there the ghosts of Paraguay began to emerge, and the question was if this time the side could hold on to their narrow advantage. 

Andre Penner/Associated Press

It was a close-run thing. Stung by the opener, the Celeste came out firing. But where Ramon Diaz's Guarani troops saw their best two chances beat Sergio Romero and fly into the net, Uruguay were to be frustrated. Young striker Diego Rolan should have levelled the scoring when a Maxi Pereira shot was parried kindly into his path. But instead of making Argentina pay the rookie blasted over. Such are the margins with which Copa America games are won and lost. 

Argentina did not turn too many heads with a battling performance in La Serena. But the key was taking three points which allow the side to prepare for the Group B finale against Jamaica in a more relaxed frame of mind. Derbies, after all, are rarely pretty to watch and one only has to watch a rerun of the 2011 Copa America quarter-final to see just how dangerous the Rioplatense rival is when pride is on the line. 

Lady luck smiled on the Albiceleste to get them off the mark in this year's Copa America. Now Messi and Co. must take advantage and keep improving in order to make a serious impression on what we have already seen is a fiercely competitive tournament in Chile.