Argentina cruise past Benin with eight-goal victory
Argentina swept aside Benin 8-0 in their second group stage match at the Women's U20 World Cup on Monday. The result shifted the standings considerably, with the hosts dropping to third place while Argentina moved into fourth after recovering from their opening defeat to Poland.
The visitors took control early, with J. Vinhas breaking the deadlock in the sixteenth minute. M. Diz doubled the advantage before the interval, slotting home in the thirty-second minute. By then Argentina had already established their superiority, and A. Paz added a third just before the break with a well-taken effort.
Argentina kept pressing after the restart. M. Diz scored again in the forty-eighth minute, and despite a penalty miss by A. Paz in the sixtieth minute, she immediately made amends with a conversion from the spot. He added a fourth just three minutes later, and a fifth arrived in the sixty-sixth minute before J. Aguilar completed the scoring in the eightieth.
The statistics told the full story of a one-sided encounter. Argentina enjoyed two-thirds of possession and registered twelve shots on target compared to Benin's four. The visitors were significantly more precise, hitting fifty-two per cent of their attempts on goal while the hosts managed only twenty-nine per cent accuracy.
Both sides made five substitutions, though the changes came too late for Benin to alter the course of the match. The hosts had drawn their opening game 2-2 against Mexico, but this performance suggested they were still searching for their rhythm at the tournament.
Argentina's response after losing to Poland was emphatic. The eight-goal margin ended any lingering doubts about the visitors' mentality, and they now sit on the board with a single win and four points after two matches.
