The most remarkable thing by far about Argentina's otherwise wholly unremarkable stalemate against Venezuela is that the game went ahead in the first place.
First, the travel restrictions imposed by the mutually antagonistic governments of each nation forced Lionel Messi (back and wholly recovered from his recent ankle woes) and company to take a circuitous route to Maturín, passing through Leo's adopted home of Miami. Then, having taken up residence at Inter's training base, the Selección was informed that the terrifying spectre of Hurricane Milton, on a crash course for Florida, could ground all flights, including their trip to Venezuela.
That obstacle finally surpassed, and skirting round the tempest by way of Barranquilla, Argentina were then greeted by another storm, a brief but biblical affair in Maturín which left the pitch waterlogged. Despite the best efforts of a group of stewards and their brooms – who really just appeared to be pushing water from one sector of grass to another – the match was in serious danger of postponement for the umpteenth time, but eventually went ahead – to the obvious chagrin of the jetlagged and sodden visitors.
“It's very tough, the game got bogged down, really ugly,” Messi lamented to reporters after the 1-1 draw. “We couldn't put two passes together... it didn't help us do what we wanted, we had to play a different game than the one we had prepared for.” Coach Lionel Scaloni went even further, stating that: “the game was in no condition to go ahead.”
But go ahead it did, and in spite of a playing surface more suited to water polo than professional international football it appeared initially that Argentina would tough it out for their seventh win in nine World Cup qualifiers.
Their opening goal was appropriately messy: a whipped Messi free-kick was punched out by Venezuela goalkeeper Rafael Romo straight into the back of his own defender, and Nicolás Otamendi's just managed to poke the ball with enough force to sent it through the puddles and into the net. And for a large chunk of the game that scramble looked like it would be enough, as the visitors endured the soggy conditions and a determined Venezuela effort and Gerónimo Rulli, drafted between the posts in the absence of the suspended Emiliano Martínez, did his best to ensure the camera swatting trophy-botherer would not be overly missed this FIFA break.
Alas, it was not to be. Just past the hour-mark Venezuela's supremely talented pocket rocket Yeferson Soteldo – one of the few international players who can refer to Messi as ‘that big lad up front' – ran rings around Gonzalo Montiel out wide and floated a perfect cross to Salomón Rondón, who powered his header past Rulli to level the game at 1-1.
Argentina could have yet come away with all three points were it not for Romo, who shortly after the equaliser pulled off a great save with Messi bearing down on him. Nevertheless, the draw was on balance a just result and more than acceptable for both sides; for a Venezuela team ever more confident of taking on South America's traditional giants and running them close, and for the Albiceleste who were thankful more than anything to get back in the dressing room and dry out. Even with two straight draws the position of Scaloni's troops remains unassailable in the World Cup standings, and the return of Messi to the fold was another big plus for a team that is cruising towards 2026 and the chance to defend its hard-earned title.
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