Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to an emphatic 4-0 win over Ecuador in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Monumental on Saturday.
Messi scored one of the goals and had a hand in the others as he and strikers Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain virtually sealed victory with little more than half an hour gone. Angel Di Maria added the fourth 15 minutes from time.
The victory took Argentina to the top of the South American group, with 10 points from five matches, one point ahead of Chile and two in front of Uruguay and Venezuela.
Photo: AFP
Argentina took 20 minutes to break Ecuador down before Aguero opened the floodgates.
Messi lay on the second for Higuain after a superb run in which he shook off three defenders and then scored his 23rd for Argentina following another run from halfway and a one-two with Higuain in a high-tempo 11 minutes that left Ecuador reeling.
“We’re always looking for the connection with our fans and today was impressive. We have to carry on like this, united to the end,” Messi told reporters after the crowd chanted his name.
Argentina have a bye in next weekend’s round of matches and instead will play archrivals Brazil in a friendly in the US.
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
RSS