Updates from the Socceroos’ one-off match in ChinaKick-off time in Beijing is 8pm/10pm AEST/1pm BSTAny thoughts? Get in touch with Rob on email
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Argentina v Australia in Beijing. In name, this is just another international friendly. In nature, it means all things to all folks. To some it’s a chance for the Socceroos to gain a form of revenge for their defeat to the eventual world champions in Qatar (it feels like yesterday that Garang Kuol was denied by Emi Martinez; in fact it was 193 days ago). To others it’s the first of two vital opportunities – the other is at Wembley in October – for Graham Arnold to assess his young side ahead of the Asian Cup in January and then World Cup qualification. And to others, particularly those in Beijing, it’s a chance to see Lionel Messi play football again, perhaps for the final time on their shores.
This is Argentina’s toughest game since that astonishing World Cup final, though that isn’t saying that much. In March they beat Panama 2-0 and Curacao 7-0, with Messi scoring the goals he needed to reach a century for his country. Next week they play Indonesia. I’m not sure what the moral of this particular story is.
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