Argentina Defeats Australia in 2-0 Victory
Lionel Messi leads Argentina to victory in Beijing friendly, scoring the fastest goal of his career.
Argentina emerged triumphant in a friendly match against Australia, securing a 2-0 victory in Beijing. Lionel Messi, the team’s captain and recently signed Inter Miami player, scored the first goal a mere 79 seconds into the game. Defender Germán Pezzella later sealed the result at the 68th minute. The match was mostly dominated by the albiceleste team.
World Champions Reign Supreme
The friendly match at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing showcased a rematch between Argentina and Australia, reminiscent of their encounter in the round of 16 in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. In that match, Argentina emerged victorious with a 2-1 score under the leadership of Lionel Scaloni.
Argentina’s Asian Tour Continues
While Lionel Messi begins his vacation, the Argentine National Team will proceed with their tour of Asia. They are set to play their next friendly match against Indonesia in Jakarta on Monday.
The Disappointment of a Dream Deferred
In Indonesia, fervent fan Surya Wijaya Ang had planned to embark on a 12-hour journey by boat and plane to witness his idol, Lionel Messi, play in the upcoming friendly match. However, to the disappointment of many fans, Messi will not be joining the Argentine team in their trip to Indonesia.
Fans in Indonesia rushed to purchase more than 60,000 tickets for the match against the world champions, with promotional materials adorned with the face of the Argentine star. However, after days of speculation, it was officially confirmed on Thursday that Messi would not be making the trip to the archipelago nation.
“I feel sad and disappointed, it’s a mixture of emotions,” confessed Surya Wijaya Ang, a 31-year-old shop owner. “This was my best opportunity to see Messi play in person.”
After Argentina’s victory against Australia, Lionel Scaloni, the coach of the albiceleste, confirmed in an interview with TyC Sports that Messi would not be traveling to Indonesia for the second friendly match of their Asian tour.
Ang, a passionate follower of Messi since his time at FC Barcelona, has even collected around 200 jerseys with Messi’s name. His journey begins from his home on the remote island of Banda Neira, situated in the eastern Maluku province. He must take a boat to the city of Ambon, followed by a four-hour flight to Jakarta.
Ang went to great lengths to afford the admission fee, selling seven shirts from his cherished collection to generate the required funds. Now feeling let down by the organizers, he states, “Messi is an icon, and you can say that 90% of the tickets were sold because of Messi. This was a marketing strategy for them.”
The fans’ discontent resonated on social media, as one user even resorted to selling two tickets “because Messi is not coming.” Another fan expressed their disappointment through a guitar-accompanied ballad on Twitter, pleading, “Why don’t you come to Indonesia? Why don’t you come, oh Mr. Messi? No more idolizing him… We will not beg him to come.”
Messi’s Long-Awaited Visit
Messi’s visit was highly anticipated following a challenging year for football in Indonesia, which saw a deadly stampede in a stadium and the loss of the U-20 World Cup hosting rights, now held by Argentina and Uruguay.
Although the dream of seeing Messi has been shattered, Ang intends to proceed with his plan to travel to Jakarta to support the rest of the albiceleste team, even without Lionel Messi. With a touch of bitterness, he jokes about the possibility of seeing another Lionel, quipping, “Perhaps I’ll catch a glimpse of Lionel Scaloni.”
*This article contains information sourced from AFP.
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