BUENOS AIRES (The Thursday Times) — Uruguay ne Jumme ko La Bombonera mein ek dostana match mein Argentina ko 2-1 se shikast de di, aur yun Lionel Messi ki international football se retirement ke baad World Cup ki runner-up team ka pehla match uske liye mayoos kun sabit hua.
Uruguay ne doosre half ke aaghaz ke kuch hi der baad bartari hasil kar li. Bayen janib se Giorgian de Arrascaeta ki free-kick ne Argentina ke difa mein afratafri paida ki, aur Lisandro Martínez ki header ke zariye gend hatane ki koshish saathi khiladi Leonardo Balerdi se takra kar goal mein chali gayi.
De Arrascaeta ne 53wen minute mein doosra goal bhi banwaya, jab unka corner bazahir Maxi Araújo ke kandhe se lag kar uchhalta hua jaal mein ja gira. Julián Álvarez ne 73wen minute mein ek goal utara aur izafi waqt mein unhein ek aur mauqa bhi mila, lekin Uruguay ne apne naye coach Diego Forlán ke tehat teesri jeet apne naam kar li.
39 sala Messi ne Argentina ke liye apna aakhri match October mein Benin ke khilaf ek jazbati alwidai dostana match ki soorat mein khela tha, jiske saath unka 207 matches aur 125 goals par mushtamil international career ikhtitam ko pahuncha. Unka aakhri muqablati match New Jersey mein World Cup ka final tha, jis mein Argentina ko Spain ke haathon 1-0 se shikast hui thi.
Coach Lionel Scaloni, jinhon ne isi hafte 2030 tak apne muahide mein tauseeh ki hai, ne number 10 ki shirt kisi khiladi ko nahin di aur kaha ke unhon ne abhi Messi ka jaanasheen muntakhib nahin kiya. Stands mein bohat se shaiqeen Messi ki shirt pehne hue thay, lekin stadium poori tarah nahin bhara, jo Messi ke khelne ke dinon mein Argentina ke home matches mein shaaz-o-naadir hi hota tha.
Scaloni ne kaha: “Humein Leo Messi ke baghair team ko naye sire se khara karna hai, aur hamare paas is shikast ke baad wapas aane ki salahiyat maujood hai. Humein maloom tha ke yeh mushkil hoga, aur ab humein mehnat jaari rakhni hai.”
Unhon ne apne squad ke naujawan khiladiyon ke saath sabr se kaam lene ki appeal ki. Unka kehna tha: “Hum un se yeh tawaqqo nahin kar sakte ke woh team ka bojh apne kandhon par uthayen. Hum jaante hain ke star khiladi ab yahan nahin hain, aur jo baqi hain woh achhe khiladi hain. Humein unhein waqt dena hoga.”
Argentina ne gend par control to achha rakha, lekin aakhri tihai mein dhaar ki kami rahi, aur na Nico Paz aur na hi Thiago Almada Messi ka chhoda hua takhleeqi khala pur kar sake. Goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli ne pehli baar team ki captaincy ki, aur Scaloni ne kaha ke “goal hone mein unka koi qasoor nahin tha.”
Atlético Madrid ke striker Álvarez ne ise “ek naya daur, jis mein bohat se naujawan khiladi hain” qarar diya aur kaha: “Humein doosron ki chhodi hui meeras ko aage barhane ke liye mehnat jaari rakhni hogi.”
Argentina Mangal ko Córdoba mein Costa Rica ki mezbani karega, jabke Uruguay usi din apne mulk mein Dominican Republic ke khilaf khelega.
