On March 23, Beijing time, the international warm-up match ended three key training matches, Argentina swept El Salvador 3-0 in the absence of Messi, the Netherlands overthrew Scotland by four goals, and Spain was defeated by Colombia, ranked 14th in the world.
【Argentina-El Salvador】
Despite Lionel Messi's injury and absence from the squad, world No.1 Argentina calmly played the dominance of the world champions, not attacking in the opening game, but patiently passing through the midfield to find good opportunities, and once the opponent's forward pressure exposed the defensive gap, they used the quick pass to tear the defence through the defense with precision and efficiency.
Argentina's attacking combination in the 8th minute was a good illustration of the tactical idea, the four suddenly accelerated to break down the wing defense with a pass, Lautaro got a chance to shoot, but the ball was blocked by the opposing defender. Di Maria also created a great chance with a wide-centre combination and his forward volley was saved by the goalkeeper.
Argentina's attacking pressure soon paid off, with Angel Di Maria spotting a pinpoint cross from a corner and Sergio Romero slotting a header in front of the six-yard box. At the end of the half, Argentina's sharp and fast attack disrupted the defence, and Enzo calmly scored in the penalty area by taking advantage of the opponent's clearance error. Then Lo Celso received a brilliant triangle pass in the penalty area, fell to the ground and swept the shot, and was saved.
Argentina, who had a two-goal lead, returned to play more relaxed in the second half, Lautaro hit the wall in front of the penalty area, and Lo Celso stabbed home with ease in the box. Argentina, who completed the purpose of the training, once again played a smooth passing and running match, and after a number of people passed with one kick, Di Maria's volley from the penalty area was saved by the goalkeeper. Midway through the half, Di Maria received Garnacho's cross and fired again, and the Argentine angel could have scored, but the Salvadoran goalkeeper was too brave. In the end, Argentina swept El Salvador 3-0. Argentina have won 16 of their last 17 games and have only lost to Uruguay.
In this game, Argentina tried its skills in a small way, with smooth ground coordination, efficient offensive transitions and a tight defensive system, showing strong strength and rich tactical changes. Messi's absence has only increased the speed of the frontcourt, with midfielders such as Paredes, De Paul, and Lo Celso playing an important role in the transition between attack and defence, and their precise passing and tough defense provide strong support for the attack.
【Netherlands-Scotland】
The Netherlands, ranked 6th in the world, played at a very high level of competition and a smooth teamwork. Gakpo opened the scoring with a one-on-one goal, which really made the opposition goalkeeper scramble. Scotland are not soft persimmons either, with Christie's header saved by the Dutch goalkeeper. Just before half-time, Reinders received Gakpo's clever ball and fired home from outside the box.
The leading Netherlands continued to control the tempo of the game. Gakpo created a number of chances with his excellent creativity up front, and midway through the second half, Gakpo shook down the left and crossed with precision, and Wijnaldum shook his head in front of the six-yard penalty area. Two more goals were scored in the closing stages, Weghorst headed in a cross from a corner, and Malen scored in the penalty area with a dashing dribble between two people, and the Netherlands beat Scotland 4-0.
The Netherlands had a clear advantage, with 13 shots on goal and 7 of them on target, which was extremely efficient. Gakpo's brilliant performance was the highlight of the game, and his double assists and overall performance proved his importance in the national team. Scotland, on the other hand, created some chances in the game but failed to capitalise on them, especially Christie's header that hit the crossbar and missed a good chance to equalise.
【Spain-Colombia】
This contest showed a very different trend. In the first half, the two sides attacked and defended each other, but neither could break the deadlock, and the game fell into a stalemate. In the 61st minute, Diaz broke through with a series of feints and crossed, and the outflanked Mulos volleyed the goal, which became the only goal of the game and the winning goal for the Colombian team. Although Spain tried to equalise in the ensuing period, they failed to create a truly dangerous chance and Colombia held on to their lead. In the end, the match ended in a 0-1 defeat to Colombia for Spain.
In this game, Colombia was slightly inferior to Spain in terms of possession, but their efficient counter-attacking tactics played a role in key moments, and Dias's individual ability and Munos's brilliant shot decided the outcome of the game. Although the Spanish team had many set-pieces and shooting opportunities, the shooting accuracy and goal-oriented grasp were not good, and they finally hated.