A goal by Angel Di Maria secured Argentina a 1-0 victory against Ecuador in a pre-Copa America friendly match held in Chicago on Sunday. Di Maria, set to retire from international play post-Copa, scored the winning goal five minutes prior to halftime, thanks to a pass from Cristian Romero. Despite their efforts, Argentina could not increase their lead in the second half.
Di Maria commented post-match, 'This win was deserved. We must continue our hard work and maintain our unity. Ecuador is a potential Copa opponent, and we understand the tournament will be challenging. Today's match was a good opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities.'
Argentina is scheduled to play Guatemala in another friendly on Friday, ahead of their Copa America opener against defending champions Canada on June 20. They will then face Chile on June 25 and Peru on June 29. Ecuador prepares for the Copa America with matches against Bolivia on Wednesday and Honduras on Sunday. Their tournament begins against Venezuela on June 22, followed by games against Jamaica on June 26 and Mexico on June 30.
The Copa America is set to take place across the United States from June 20 to July 14.
