Substitute Lionel Messi scored his 38th goal for Argentina as they breezed past Slovenia 2-0 in their final World Cup warm-up on Saturday, reports Reuters, AFP.
Messi, his country’s second highest scorer after Gabriel Batistuta, had not found the net in an international since a 5-2 qualifying win over Paraguay in Asuncion in September.
Argentina’s captain began the match on the bench along with other key players like Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria, with coach Alejandro Sabella fearful of his squad being caught up in the spate of injuries affecting other World Cup finalists.
Winger Ricky Alvarez opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a low left-foot shot from the edge of the box but two minutes later midfielder Lucas Biglia came off after receiving a knock and was replaced by Hugo Campagnaro.
In the 76th minute Di Maria lobbed the ball from the edge of the box to the left where Aguero headed it down to Messi, who had come on for Alvarez in the 57th, and he dinked it between two defenders and the goalkeeper.
While in Washington, David Villa scored twice as Spain defeated El Salvador 2-0 in their final World Cup warm-up before they launch the defence of their title in Brazil.
The Atletico Madrid striker netted a header in the 60th minute and added the clincher in the 87th minute, producing his 57th and 58th career goals for the Spanish national side.
Villa opened the scoring after a pass to Sergio Ramos pulled Salvadoran goalkeeper Derby Carrillo to his left and away from the posts.
Ramos headed the ball back into the heart of the penalty area and Villa nodded it into the unguarded goal.
Villa, who is set to play in Australia later this year before joining a new Major League soccer team in New York next year, made sure of the win three minutes from time.
Spanish striker Diego Costa, who lasted only nine minutes for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final against Real Madrid due to a right hamstring problem, started and played until the 74th minute with no signs of trouble.
In, Miami, England manager Roy Hodgson breathed a sigh of relief after his team emerged unscathed from a bruising goalless draw with Honduras on Saturday.
A match interrupted by a lightning storm also saw plenty of sparks on the pitch with a number of full-blooded challenges that would have given Hodgson some anxious moments.
In Brussels, A late Dries Mertens goal gave Belgium a 1-0 victory over Tunisia in their final warm-up friendly, ensuring they go to Brazil on a high note after a match temporarily halted by hail.
The home side dominated possession, but for much of the encounter they barely tested Tunisia’s keeper and had only a few tame shots and a couple of missed half-chances even after the visitors had a man sent off with almost half an hour to play.
In Jacksonville, Jozy Altidore broke his goal-scoring drought as the United States beat Nigeria 2-1 on Saturday in the Americans’ final World Cup warm-up on US soil before heading to Brazil.
Sunderland’s much-maligned striker – without a goal in 2014 – netted in the 32nd and 68th minutes as Jurgen Klinsmann’s men made it a hat-trick of wins after victories over Azerbaijan and Turkey in their previous two warm-up games.
Results
Belgium 1 (Mertens 88) Tunisia 0; Argentina 2 (Alvarez 11, Messi 75) Slovenia 0; Cameroon 1 (Edgar Salli 30) Moldova 0; Spain 2
(Villa 60, 87) El Salvador 0.
-With New Age input
