In the friendly match with Germany 3 days ago, Argentina was behind 0-2 after the first half but still ended up with a 2-2 draw. The "supporting" Albiceleste played well in the match at Signal Iduna Park, especially the players brought on in the second half.
Lucas Alario, Marcos Acuna and Lucas Ocampos were the three players who contributed to Argentina's two goals in the match against Germany after coming on in the second half. Coach Lionel Scaloni therefore rewarded them with a starting position in the friendly match against Ecuador in Elche.
Coach Scaloni's confidence was soon rewarded after only 20 minutes of play. Starting from Acuna's corner kick, Alario jumped high and headed towards the far corner of the goal, opening the score for Argentina. This was the second consecutive match in which the duo coordinated to score for Albiceleste.
The opening goal helped the Argentine players play excitedly and soon double the gap. In the 27th minute, Acuna made his mark again with a difficult pass that caused Jhon Espinoza to score an own goal. 4 minutes later, the midfielder wearing the number 8 shirt crossed for Lautaro Martinez to run in and earn a penalty. From a distance of 11m, Leandro Paredes made no mistake to increase the score to 3-0.
The effort to make substitutions during the break will only bring some honor to Ecuador. The short-range goal from Mena's direct free kick did not change the game, especially when Argentina showed their superiority in playing style and players.
In the 66th minute, Pezzella re-established a three-goal lead with a header from Dybala's cross. This was the 28-year-old defender's second goal after 13 matches for the national team.
Discouraged after the third goal, Ecuador lost focus towards the end of the match. In the 66th minute, from Dybala's free kick, German Pezzella rushed in and headed the ball into the Ecuador net. In the 82nd minute, starting from a free kick combination, Nicolas Dominguez had an accurate shot from the second line, raising the score to 5-1.
Argentina's 6-1 victory was determined in the 86th minute. In a quick attack, Matias Vargas fired a dangerous curler and was blocked by goalkeeper Pedro Ortiz. However, Ocampos was still there in time to shoot from a tight angle.
With coach Scaloni, he can be satisfied with the results of this training session when the "assistants" such as Alario, Acuna and Ocampos have played well. They promise to be solutions to help Argentina reduce their dependence on Messi in the coming time.
