Jozef Pekermanwho won three U-20 World Cups under the guidance of the Argentina team, managed the team that became 2-1 champions, Tango, which included stratospheric players such as Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín and the aforementioned Valderrama.
Francisco ‘Pacho’ Maturanawho won the Copa América with Colombia in 2001, led the Samba team with Ronaldinho, Lucio, Dida, Zamorano and Jorge Campos, among other legends.
This practice match took place two days before the draw for the 2024 Copa América in Miami.
The match started in the stands of the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, the stadium where Leo Messi’s Inter Miami plays, at a third of capacity and after the referees took ‘selfies’ with the players.
The President of FIFA, Gianni Infantinoalso put on his boots and had a scoring opportunity in the first minutes of the match with a shot that sailed very weakly across the goal.
Carlos Daniel Tapia, the historic Argentine midfielder of River Plate and Boca Juniors and 1986 world champion, played a few minutes before being replaced by athletics star Usain Bolt, who competed as a guest in Pekerman’s team wearing the number 9.58 in tribute to his historic world record in the 100 meters.
The Jamaican, an eight-time Olympic gold medalist, touched the ball several times without losing his honor.
When Tapia was replaced, a journalist on the field asked him if he was injured, to which ‘Carlitos’ jokingly replied: “Since he was born.”
Valderrama, aged 62, safely fired a free-kick on target on the edge of the penalty area after a friendly threat from four teammates. ‘El Pibe’ Valderrama played long minutes and held his own.
In the 40th minute, the referee whistled a penalty on Ronaldinho, who sent the Brazilian into the net.
Higuaín pressed from all sides, with long shots and long runs into midfield, until he was awarded a penalty at the start of the second half.
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
