Argentina came through in the 88th minute of the U.S. Nations Cup Group A matchup on Wednesday, the 26th, with a lone shot on goal in the 88th minute to beat Chile 1-0 and win the marathon matchup 2-2 on aggregate to lock up a spot in the last eight early on.
Earlier, Argentina easily defeated Canada 2-0 in the first round of the group stage. In the marquee match, Mez and Zulian Ivaris were back together, but the two teams were locked in a stalemate in the first half, and Mez was even fouled by her opponent in the 24th minute, but fortunately was able to hold on to the match without any major injuries.
The changeover saw Argentina gradually take control of the game, with Nicolas Dryshalis and Zulian Ivaris launching consecutive attacks, while Mez was not to be outdone and repeatedly threatened.
In the second half, the Argentinean team attacked even more, and a powerful shot from Nicolas Gansalis came close, but unfortunately hit the goal frame. It wasn't until the 73rd minute that Di Maria and Nadalu Martinez launched an onslaught of attacks, with Mez sending a corner kick, and amidst the chaos in front of the goal, Nadalu Martinez grabbed a shot on goal, giving the Inter Milan striker a second consecutive success, and a huge boost to their morale.
Meanwhile, in the other match in the same group, Canada beat Peru 1-0 to finish in second place with three points. Chile and Peru are both at the bottom of the group with one point, so Argentina secured qualification one round earlier.
