La Plata (Argentina): Substitute Lionel Messi scored his 38th goal for Argentina as they breezed past Slovenia 2-0 in their final World Cup warm-up on Saturday. Messi, his country’s second highest scorer after Gabriel Batistuta, had not found the net in an international since a 5-2 qualifying win over Paraguay in Asuncion in September. Sabella used the friendly at the Estadio Unico to test an alternative tactical plan with three at the back and five across the middle before changing things in the second half.
Winger Ricky Alvarez opened the scoring in the 12th minute but two minutes later midfielder Lucas Biglia came off after receiving a knock and was replaced by Hugo Campagnaro. In the 76th minute Di Maria lobbed the ball from the edge of the box to the left where Aguero headed it down to Messi, who dinked it between two defenders and the goalkeeper.
Brits held by Honduras
In Miami, England came up against a resilient Honduras side reduced to 10 men for the last 20 minutes and found themselves short on ideas about how to break them down as they were held to a 0-0 draw. England striker Daniel Sturridge had the best chance of the game after 22 minutes but his weak left-foot shot missed the far post and he was guilty of wasting two other good opportunities. In the second period, Honduras were reduced to 10 men when Brayan Beckeles caught Leighton Baines in the head with his arm.
Villas brace lifts Spain
Meanwhile, David Villa scored twice as Spain defeated El Salvador 2-0 in Washington. The Atletico Madrid striker netted a header in the 60th minute and added the clincher in the 87th minute, producing his 57th and 58th goals for the national side. Villa opened the scoring after a pass to Sergio Ramos pulled Salvadoran goalkeeper Derby Carrillo to his left and away from the posts. Ramos headed the ball back into the heart of the penalty area and Villa nodded it into the unguarded goal. Villa made sure of the win three minutes from time. In the other matches, a late Dries Mertens goal gave Belgium a 1-0 victory over Tunisia in Brussels while in Jacksonville, Jozy Altidore broke his goalscoring drought as the United States beat Nigeria 2-1.
Argentina make Falklands protest
Argentina inflamed their rivalry with England on the eve of the World Cup on Saturday, unfurling a banner claiming sovereignty of the Falkland Islands before defeating Slovenia 2-0. But the squad will have raised eyebrows in Britain showing off their politically-charged banner declaring “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas (The Malvinas are Argentine)” to the crowd before kick off. The banner is regularly put on show before Argentina’s games. But the proximity to the World Cup brought new attention.
The South Atlantic islands have been ruled by Britain since 1833 but Argentina claims them and in 1982 attempted to seize control, sparking a brief but intense war. Renewed diplomatic tensions over the islands have added a confrontational edge to a series of titantic battles between England and Argentina at the World Cup. Four years later at the World Cup in 1986, Diego Maradona outraged the English with his punched “Hand of God” goal in the 2-1 quarter-final victory in Mexico. Maradona later said bitterness over the Falklands conflict had motivated the Argentines against England.
