VALENCIA, Venezuela — In a dazzling performance, Claudio Echeverri, recently signed by Manchester City, netted two goals, propelling Argentina’s under-20 squad to a resounding 6-0 victory against their rivals Brazil during the opening match of Group B in the South American championship.
Argentina wasted no time on the pitch, delivering an impressive offensive display right from the start. Ian Subiabre opened the scoring in the sixth minute, followed quickly by Echeverri’s contribution just two minutes later. An own goal by Brazil’s Igor Serrote in the 11th minute compounded the embarrassment for the Brazilian team.
Echeverri expressed pride in his team’s performance, stating, “We did an amazing job; we were ready for this. We are always motivated to play against Brazil. We will not relax; we need to keep improving.” His comments reflect the team’s determination and focus moving forward in the tournament.
The South American U-20 championship serves as a qualification route for the upcoming World Cup for this age group, set to take place in September in Chile. Historically, Brazil has excelled in this tournament, holding a record 12 championships.
In another match earlier in the day, Ecuador triumphed over Bolivia with a score of 2-1, marking the beginning of their Group B campaign. The tournament structure allows the top three teams from each of the two groups to move forward into a six-team round-robin stage. Ultimately, only the top four teams will earn spots to compete in Chile.