Flores pulls out the skills on the left to retain the ball, which he does despite being trapped on the touchline by two defenders. Impressive stuff from the substitute.
FULL-TIME: Argentina 5-1 Nicaragua
90' +1
Penalty goal scored by J. Barrera for Nicaragua!
GOOALLLL!!!! Nicaragua pull one back in the final moments! Barrera, Nicaragua's leading scorer, records another with a brilliant right-footed penalty that he launched into the top-right corner! No keeper is getting to that one! Argentina 5-1 Nicaragua
90'
There will be three minutes of added time.
87'
Nicaragua counter quickly through Barrera who tried an early cross in that found nothing but the legs of an Argentinian defender.
85'
L. Copete gets yellow.
Copete takes down Dybala with a late challenge and picks up a yellow card for his troubles.
82'
F. Flores enters the game and replaces J. Betancur.
Nicaragua replace Bentacur with Flores.
81'
R. Pereyra has scored a goal for Argentina! Assist by R. De Paul.
De Paul made an excellent run off the shoulder of his defender down the left and, after being found with a lofted pass, tried one of his own that found Pereyra who finished at the back post.
GOOALLLL!!!! It's five for Argentina! De Paul was found with a lofted pass as he launched down the left wing before he whipped in a teasing ball that missed Martinez at the near post, but fell perfectly to Pereyra at the back! It's hard to tell where the ball hit the Watford man, but it's wound up in the back of the net regardless. Argentina 5-0 Nicaragua
79'
Argentina's intensity on the pitch has seemingly increased with each substitution.
77'
Lo Celso takes down Galeano and is called for the foul.
73'
L. Martínez has scored a goal for Argentina! Assist by R. Funes Mori.
R. Funes Mori enters the game and replaces J. Foyth.
Funes Mori replaces Foyth in defence.
Funes Mori had just run onto the pitch and, with his first touch, headed the ball back to Martinez who finished the chance with an excellent right-footed shot.
GOOALLL!! Argentina score their fourth! Funes Mori, who had literally just entered play, flicked on a header from a corner, and Martinez took it on the half-volley at the back-post and powered it past Maradiaga. That's Martinez's second since coming on at the half! Can he find a third for the hat-trick? Argentina 4-0 Nicaragua
Minute
Description
67'
Bentacur hacks down Lo Celso who has been the best player throughout this match. Free-kick to the hosts.
65'
Lo Celso attempts a cheeky flisked pass to de Paul, but the latter is called for offside.
63'
A. Goufas enters the game and replaces B. Bonilla.
L. Martínez has scored a goal for Argentina! Assist by N. Otamendi.
Otamendi generously awarded an assist for the ball grazing the top of his head before falling to Martinez who took a couple of touches in the box before finishing the chance.
GOOALLL!!! Argentina score their third! From a corner, the ball fell to Martinez in the box and the striker kept his composure, dribbled to better his angle, and then dispatched a right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner. Argentina 3-0 Nicaragua.
Another change for Nicaragua as Punyed is withdrawn in favour of Cadena.
57'
R. Pereyra enters the game and replaces M. Suárez.
Pereyra comes on for Suarez in midfield.
56'
N. Tagliafico enters the game and replaces G. Rodríguez.
Rodriguez is replaced by Ajax defender Tagliafico.
Dybala, who is playing as the man at the top of Argentina's formation, gets caught offside trying to chase down a ball from Martinez.
54'
What is the goalkeeper doing?! Maradiaga charges into midfield to clear the ball but hits it right at Dybala! Had it not been for a fantastic tackle on the latter from one of his defenders, that would have been a goal, and an embarrassing one at that.
51'
Suarez collects a pass from Lo Celso and whips a cross to Dybala at the back post but it's cut out before it can reach the forward.
49'
L. Martínez gets yellow.
Martinez picks up a yellow card less than five minutes after coming onto the pitch.
46'
L. Galeano enters the game and replaces C. Chavarría.
H. Maradiaga enters the game and replaces J. Llorente.
Ó. López enters the game and replaces C. Montenegro.
L. Martínez enters the game and replaces S. Agüero.
P. Dybala enters the game and replaces L. Messi.
Goalkeeper swap for Nicaragua as Lorente is replaced by Maradiaga.
The referee blows his whistle once more, and this match is back underway!
Oscar Lopez comes onto the pitch with Montenegro sacrificed.
Lautaro Martinez also enters the fray with Aguero the player coming off.
There will be no hat-trick for Messi as he is withdrawn at half time. Dybala will come on in his stead.
Chavarria comes off with Galeano the replacement.
45'
There will be one minute of added time.
43'
Barerra finds himself in a defensive position and fouls Aguero to prevent any further damage before the half.
40'
Aguero tries an incisive pass forward to Suarez, but the latter was offside.
38'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Argentina!
GOOALLLL! Messi scores two goals in two minutes! It starts with Locelso again who played Aguero into the box. The Manchester City man shot early, but it was blocked and parried by Lorente... right into the path of Messi who simply does not miss from there. Argentina 2-0 Nicaragua
37'
L. Messi has scored a goal for Argentina! Assist by G. Lo Celso.
Lo Celso drifted infield and then played a perfectly weighted reverse ball to Messi who still had a lot to do, and did it.
GOOAAAL! Argentina take the lead! Lo Celso played an excellent reverse ball to Messi who was on his way into the box. The latter sat no less than three defenders on the ground with dummy shots before finally slotting his shot past a diving Lorente! Brilliant pass and even more brilliant finish! Argentina 1-0 Nicaragua
36'
Armani bobbles a save with Bentacur lurking, but manages to secure it before allowing something embarrassing to happen.
34'
Chavarria goes on a marauding run down the left wing and can only be stopped by Saravia kicking the ball out for a throw.
30'
Messi is taken down just outside the box. The free-kick will be from an almost perfect spot for him to go for goal.
28'
Both in terms of effort and challenges, Nicaragua are not playing like this is a friendly.
25'
R. Punyed gets yellow.
Punyed picks up the first yellow of the match after a heavy challenge on Rodriguez.
24'
Lo Celso plays a fantastic ball out to Suarez on the left and he follows it up with a significantly worse pass that was proabably intended for Aguero.
21'
Foyth, with all the confidence of a player who already pulled off a terrific skill, tries another one in midfield and is immediately dispossessed.
19'
Almost on cue, Nicaragua push forward and win their first corner of the match off Rodriguez.
17'
Argentina have had the only meaningful chances thus far but it's Nicaragua have been winning the midfield thus far. Can they use that as a launching pad into attack?
15'
Foyth puts a Nicaragua attacker on his backside with a tidy heel-chop. Excelent skill from the Tottenham player there.
12'
Suarez gets tot he end-line and clips a ball across the face of goal.... that no Argentinian players bother to attack. It does deflect of a Nicaraguan defender though, and out for a corner.
10'
Montenegro tries a clearance but scuffs it and fouls Messi to keep the Barcelona man from making anything meaningful out of it.
8'
Lo Celso tries to take on Montenegro in the right channel, and the ball bounces off the defender and behind for an Argentina corner.
7'
Acuna finds space down the left for Argentina and whips in a cross that is cut out before it could reach the head of a diving Aguero.
5'
Nicaragua applying a press all the way up to Armani in the early stages here.
3'
A long, lofted ball is overhit and runs away from Saravia who gave chase down the right wing.
2'
For those interested, Argentina are wearing all white, while Nicaragua don a completely blue strip.
1'
Referee Eduardo Gamboa blows his whistle, and this match is underway!
Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of this friendly match between Argentina and Nicaragua!
Despite struggling for form since the World Cup, Argentina will surely fancy their chances against Nicaragua today considering the former currently sit 118 places higher in the FIFA rankings.
Despite the talent gap with today’s opponents, Nicaragua come into this match is great form, having lost just one of their last five matches. While they will be battling uphill today, the experiences learned will definitely benefit La Azul y Blanco as they head into the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Now, let's take a look at the team news!
Argentina (4-3-3): Franco Armani; Renzo Saravia, Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Acuna; Giovani Lo Celso, Guido Rodriguez, Leandro Paredes; Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Matias Suarez.
Argentina substitutes: Lautaro Martinez, Rodrigo de Paul, Roberto Pereyra, Agustin Marchesin, Nicolas Tagliafico, Guido Pizarro, German Pezzella, Milton Casco, Paulo Dybala, Ramiro Funes Mori, Angel Di Maria, Esteban Andrada.
Nicaragua (4-4-2): Justo Lorente; Josue Quijano, Luis Copete, Manuel Rosas, Carlos Montenegro; Marlon Lopez, Carlos Chavarria, Renato Punyed, Byron Bonilla; Jorge Betancur, Juan Berrera.
Nicaragua substitutes: Bryan Rodriguez, Oscar Lopez, Henry Maradiaga, Luis Galeano, Daniel Cadena, Agenor Baez, Rene Huete, Francisco Flores, Camphers Perez, Kevin Serapio, Armando Gkoufas, Junior Arteaga.
The players are wrapping up their warm-ups on the pitch.
This is the first time these two nations have ever faced each other. Who will come away with the bragging rights? We'll find out together!
The players are lined up as the national anthems ring around the San Juan del Bicentenario. Not long to go now!
Argentina aren't exactly in a competitive mode, but that didn't stop them from scoring two goals in the first half. At the start Nicaragua were winning the midfield, and were clearly more invested but, after they were unable to do anything with their advantage, the hosts started to grow back into the game. From the 26th minute onward it was basically all Argentina, largely off the back of Lo Celso who was their best performer for most of the half. The midfielder then created the opportunities for both of Messi's goals (37', 38') which gives his side a comfortable two goal advantage at the half. As for the visitors, they have played relatively well, but it's hard to make up a talent gap this wide. They need to get Berrera involved more but this looks like a side that could spring a surprise or two in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
It will be interesting to see how these sides approach the second half. For Argentina, the job is likely all but done but they may want to get minutes for some of the 12 players on the bench. Nicaragua may make some early changes as well, but for a different reason as any injury today would likely be quite a blow considering the shallow depth of talent.
As for what's next for these teams, Argentina will face Colombia in round one of the Copa America on Saturday while Nicaragua will face Costa Rica on Wednesday in their Gold Cup opener.
That will do it for our live coverage of this friendly match between Argentina and Nicaragua! We hope you enjoyed following along, and will joins us again soon!
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