Sports Desk, Nov 16 (EFE) . – Angel Di Maria scored two goals on Wednesday in the 5-0 victory of the Argentine soccer team over the United Arab Emirates in the last set-up of the Albiceleste for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Argentina, 3rd World Cup title, also scored goals from Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez and Joaquin Correa.
Alvarez opened the scoring in the 17th minute in front of 30,000 at Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium and Di Maria made it 3-0 with goals in the 25th and a half minutes.
Messi, for his 5th and final World Cup, extended the lead to 44th and Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni made five adjustments to start the moment, forming a team with five defenders.
A shot by Emirati Harib Abdalla Suhail bounced off the crossbar before Correa added a fifth goal for Argentina on the hour mark.
The possibility of the locals, who did not qualify for the World Cup, came with 10 minutes left in regulation time, when Brazilian Caio Canedo found himself in position to score with the Argentine goalkeeper outside the net, but German defender Pezzella cleared the goal line to keep the goal blank.
Argentina will open its World Cup crusade on Nov. 22 against Saudi Arabia, then face Mexico before concluding the level on Nov. 30 against Robert Lewandowski’s Poland. EFE Sat/Sun