Mac Allister and Argentina shocked by Australia in Olympics opener
Alexis Mac Allister made a little bit of history as the first Brighton & Hove Albion player to represent his country at the Olympics but that was about as far as the good news went for the Lionel Messi look-a-like as the games got underway in Japan.
Argentina are heavily fancied to do rather well in the battle for men’s football medals They are the reigning South American champions at Under 23 level and there is a feelgood factor around the sport in the country at the moment following their Copa America win earlier this month, so for them to start their campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Australia came as something of a shock.
In contrast, the Socceroos – or Olyroos as they are currently being referred to in honour of Olly Murs – are taking part in their first Olympics since 2008.
They had a pretty terrible record against Argentina too, having lost clashes to the South Americans in Beijing that year and at the 2004 games in Athens.
Not that any of that mattered at Sapporo Dome, the stadium where David Beckham famously scored the only goal of the game as England beat Argentina 1-0 in the 2002 World Cup.
A fiery clash that at times resembled a terribly acted episode of EastEnders as players theatrically threw themselves to the floor at every opportunity ended Australia 2-0 Argentina.
Referee Srdjan Jovanovic had his work cut out trying to keep order. After less than 45 minutes, he decided he’d had enough and sent off Argentina defender Francisco Ortega by flashing him two bookings in the space of 120 seconds on the stroke of half time.
Ortega made a clumsy challenge for which he was booked. He then got involved with Australia’s Riley McGree in the aftermath, resulting in Mr Jovanovic giving Ortega his marching orders much to the surprise of everyone and before the free kick for his misdemeanour a minute earlier could even be taken.
Australia were already 1-0 up by that point, Lachlan Wales converting a Joel King cross at the back post with a quarter of an hour on the clock.
Substitute Marco Tilio sealed the win for the Olyroos, making a stunning impact from the bench on what was his debut for the Aussie Under 23s.
Tilio’s first touch at this level of football sent Mitchell Duke away down the wing. His second touch came when he got on the end of Duke’s ball back across goal to smash an effort from the edge of the area past Argentina goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma.
It was an all-too-familiar experience for Mac Allister who, not for the first time, ended up on the losing side despite being on the team that had more of the ball as Argentina recorded 56 percent possession.
Poor Mac Allister probably though he could escape the Brighton nightmare of dominating and losing every week whilst away for a month at the Olympics. No such luck.
To be fair to Argentina, they were not the only big nation who failed to fire. France were beaten by Mexico, Spain drew with Egypt and Richarlison turned into Pele by scoring a first half hat-trick as Brazil beat Germany.
That meant the Everton forward achieved the impressive feat of scoring more goals than he managed completed passes in the opening 45 minutes.
Mac Allister is not the only Brighton at the Olympics, either. Tudor Baluta has been included in Romania’s squad despite suffering an injury hit 2020-21 season on loan at Dynamo Kiev.
Baluta made it onto the pitch as a second half substitute as Romania beat Honduras 1-0. Elvin Oliva scored a quite incredible own goal on the stroke of half time, heading a Romanian corner out of the hands of his goalkeeper and into his own net much to the dismay of his teammates.
This is Romania’s first Olympics since the 1964 games, also held in Tokyo. Baluta and his teammates will fancy their chances of progressing from Group B with New Zealand and South Korea their other opponents in what appears to be one of the weakest pools in the competition.
Two players who Brighton are rumoured to be interested in signing are also in Olympic action, although it you tuned in hoping to catch a glimpse of them then you were to be disappointed.
Getafe wing back Marc Cucurella did not make the bench for Spain in their aforementioned draw with Egypt and Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma also watched from the stands as the hosts beat South Africa 1-0.
