Pro Sports

Argentina closes in on WCup spot; Messi plays 15 minutes

Posted November 12, 2021 6:00 am

By MAURICIO SAVARESE

Argentina's Angel Di Maria celebrates scoring the opening goal against Uruguay during a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Ernesto Ryan/Pool Via AP) The Associated Press

SAO PAULO (AP) - Argentina closed in on a direct World Cup spot on Friday with a 1-0 win at Uruguay, despite the absence of Lionel Messi for most of the match as he recovers from a left knee injury.

Veteran winger Ãngel di MarÃa scored the only goal in the seventh minute with a powerful left foot shot from the right corner of the penalty box. Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera didn't get close to stopping the ball.

Second-place Argentina now has 28 points in 12 matches. The top four teams in South America earn direct entry to the World Cup. The fifth-place team goes into an intercontinental playoff for a spot in Qatar next year.

'œWinning today was a gigantic step. We deserve this, we have worked for this," Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said. 'œThey needed points, playing here was hard. This Argentina has amazing courage, and when we don't play well we have to win anyway."

Argentina was less dominant in Montevideo in comparison with recent qualifying matches. Messi only came on in the middle of the second half but did not make an impact. The absence of defensive midfielder Leandro Paredes, who has a hip injury, also affected the Copa America champions.

Uruguay's Luis SuÃ¡rez hit the post after Argentina's goal and his team had the better opportunities in the second half, but it largely missed the target.

A number of Uruguay players missed the match due to injuries, including defenders SebastiÃ¡n CÃ¡ceres, SebastiÃ¡n Coates and MatÃas ViÃ±a, midfielders Federico Valverde, NicolÃ¡s de la Cruz and Giorgian de Arrascaeta, and forwards Edinson Cavani, Darwin NÃºÃ±ez and Maximiliano GÃ³mez.

This week's round made Brazil, with 34 points, the first South American team to qualify for Qatar. Ecuador remains third with 20 points. Chile, Colombia and Uruguay follow with 16 points, two ahead of Peru. Paraguay and Bolivia have 12 points and Venezuela has seven.

Argentina's next match is against Brazil when they meet in San Juan, Argentina on Tuesday. Their match in September was suspended after seven minutes of play because of concerns from authorities over breaches of COVID-19 protocols. FIFA has not yet decided whether it will be replayed.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez celebrates winning 1-0 at the end of a qualifying soccer match against Uruguay for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (RaÃºl MartÃnez/Pool Via AP) The Associated Press

Uruguay's goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, second left, embraces Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, center, at the end of a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Ernesto Ryan/Pool Via AP) The Associated Press

Uruguay's Jose Gimenez reacts at the end of a qualifying soccer match against Argentina for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. Uruguay lost 0-1. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, Pool) The Associated Press

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, second right, embraces teammate Lionel Messi at the end of a qualifying soccer match against Uruguay for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, Pool) The Associated Press

Uruguay's players leave the field at the end of a qualifying soccer match against Argentina for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Ernesto Ryan/Pool Via AP) The Associated Press

Argentina's Lionel Messi, 10, kicks a ball during a qualifying soccer match against Uruguay for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. (Ernesto Ryan/Pool Via AP) The Associated Press

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