Argentina U-23 kicked off their Olympic Group B campaign with a 3-1 win over Iraq, with goals from Thiago Almada, Luciano Gondou, and Ezequiel Fernandez.
Argentina U-23Â lost against Morocco on Wednesday, losing 2-1 in a chaotic game that featured almost 20 minutes of second-half stoppage time and a two-hour delay due to crowd trouble.
They bounced back against Iraq despite Aymen Hussein canceling Almada’s opener and 2nd-half strikes from Gonda and Fernandez gave them a deserved win.
Argentina U-23 hit the front after 14 minutes when Julian Alvarez chested an improvised cross to Almada who volleyed into the bottom left corner.
But Iraq dug deeper into the game and were rewarded five minutes into the first-half stoppage time, Hussein getting across his marker to nod Ahmed Maknzi’s cross into the far corner.
However, Argentina were in the ascendancy throughout the 2nd half and restored their lead shortly after the hour mark. Iraq goalkeeper Hussein Hasan got under Kevin Zenon’s cross as Gondou headed home at the far post.
They wrapped up the points when Fernandez scored with five minutes remaining, curling a left-footer into the top left corner after smart play from Almada and Zenon.
The Albiceleste, Iraq, and Morocco are now level on three points with one game remaining, with Ukraine out of sorts to face the Atlas Lions later on Saturday.
