Match story
- Independiente fired more attempts (18 vs 14 shots).
- Velez Sarsfield was more accurate in front of goal (36% on target vs 22%).
- Independiente held more of the ball (54% possession).
Independiente defeated Velez Sarsfield 2-1 in Liga Profesional Argentina. The fixture is part of the Regular Season - 24 stage in the 2018 season. Fernando Rapallini, Argentina officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Independiente vs Velez Sarsfield meeting in Liga Profesional Argentina with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Independiente and Velez Sarsfield. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
Liga Profesional ArgentinaRecorded meetings: 3 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Colombia face Switzerland at the last-16 stage of the World Cup, but Jhon Arias is already urging his side to dream of a potential final. The post Arias ‘dreaming and believing’ in World Cup final after Colombia edge past Ghana appeared first on SoccerNews.
Argentina will have an unusual case in Nicolas Paz at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Argentina arrived in the United States last weekend to begin the final stage of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Among the 26 players on the roster is Nicolas Paz, who is poised to become a unique case in the history of the national team. “Nico Paz will become the first player in Argentina national team history to play in a World Cup without ever having played for a club in the country, including at the youth level,” Marca reported on Tuesday, citing a statistic provided by the X account Siempre Seleccion. Nicolas was born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, in 2004, but chose to represent Argentina because of his family roots. His father, Pablo Paz, was also a soccer player and was part of Argentina‘s squad at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, where he appeared in a match against Croatia. However, the young midfielder has never spent any stage of his career in the South American country. He began playing youth soccer with Atletico San Juan and later moved to C.D. Tenerife, both in his hometown, before attracting the attention of Real Madrid. Nicolas Paz made his professional debut with Real Madrid. With Los Blancos, he progressed through the club’s youth system before making his professional debut in November 2023. After appearing in eight matches and scoring one goal for Real Madrid, Paz was loaned to — and later permanently signed by — Italy’s Como 1907, where he has spent the last two seasons. Nicolas Paz’s history with Argentina Nico Paz will arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the least experienced international players on the team’s roster. He has made just eight appearances for Argentina since debuting against Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier in October 2024. Since then, the 21-year-old midfielder has played four official matches and four friendlies. Other similar cases to Nicolas Paz While no Argentina player has ever appeared in a World Cup without previously playing for a club in the country, there have been several examples of players reaching that level without ever playing professionally in Argentina. The most obvious example is Lionel Messi. He played youth soccer for several clubs in Rosario, most notably Newell’s Old Boys, before moving to Barcelona as a teenager, where he made his professional debut in 2004. To date, he has never played professionally for an Argentine club. A similar case is Emiliano Martinez, who left Independiente at age 17 to join Arsenal and has since spent his entire professional career in Europe. There is also another current example on Argentina’s World Cup roster: Giuliano Simeone, who left River Plate to follow his father to Atletico Madrid.
Lionel Scaloni is reportedly planning to bring more than 30 players to the United States for Argentina’s matches ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Argentina are one of the national teams still delaying a final decision on the 26-player roster that will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Scaloni reportedly has concrete plans for the pre-tournament friendlies that will take place in the United States. “The Argentina national team will bring more than 26 players on the pre-World Cup tour for the friendlies against Iceland and Honduras,” journalist Gaston Edul, an Argentina national team insider for TyC Sports, said Tuesday through his official X account. “More than 30 are going.” In that group, in addition to the stars who are usually part of every call-up, there will also be several young players who could be options for training sessions and even for the two friendlies. “Capaldo, Aranda, Freitas and Santiago Beltran have been called up… Ignacio Ovando of Rosario Central and Simon Escobar of Velez will also travel with the squad,” Edul added. Three of them were part of the 55-player preliminary list Argentina submitted to FIFA two weeks ago: Santiago Beltran, goalkeeper for River Plate; Nicolas Capaldo, a right back/defensive midfielder for Hamburger SV; and Tomas Aranda, a forward for Boca Juniors. La Selección Argentina va a llevar a más de 26 jugadores en la gira previa del Mundial para los amistosos contra Islandia y Honduras:Están convocados Capaldo, Aranda, Freitas y Santiago Beltrán.Van más de 30.— Gastón Edul (@gastonedul) May 26, 2026 Joining them are Joaquin Freitas, a 19-year-old forward who has seen significant playing time with River Plate in recent months, as well as Rosario Central defender Ignacio Ovando and Velez Sarsfield left back Simon Escobar. However, they were not part of the preliminary roster, making them ineligible for the World Cup. Argentina’s doubts ahead of the World Cup Many of the world’s top national teams have already confirmed their squads for the 2026 World Cup in North America, including England, Spain, France, Germany and Brazil. Argentina, however, are still waiting, with FIFA’s deadline set for June 1. The delay in Lionel Scaloni’s final decision regarding the 26-player World Cup squad is tied to the status of several important players who are dealing with injuries, with their recovery being monitored daily by the coaching staff. The biggest issue is in defense. Argentina’s two main right backs are currently injured: Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel. That creates uncertainty regarding the final roster construction, especially because of the potential need to include a third player at the position if necessary. Juan Foyth could have been the ideal candidate for that role, since he can also play as a center back, but his serious Achilles tendon injury ruled him out. That is why Nicolas Capaldo was included on the 55-player list, along with Union Saint-Gilloise’s Kevin Mac Allister. Adding to the situation are the injuries suffered by goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and center back Cristian Romero, although there are no doubts about their availability for the World Cup. And, on top of that, there is also the muscle fatigue that forced Lionel Messi to leave Inter Miami’s most recent match against Philadelphia Union. Argentina’s upcoming matches Before making their FIFA tournament debut against Algeria on June 16, Argentina will play two friendly matches. The first will be on June 6 against Honduras at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, while the second against Iceland will take place three days later at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
Flamengo will face Estudiantes on Matchday 5 of the 2026 Copa Libertadores group stage. Fans in the United States can catch the action live—here’s everything you need to know about kickoff time plus TV and streaming coverage. Here are all of the details of where you can watch Flamengo vs Estudiantes on US television and via legal streaming: WHO Flamengo vs Estudiantes WHAT Copa Libertadores WHEN 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT • Wednesday, May 20, 2026 WHERE Fubo, Fanatiz, beIN SPORTS en Español and beIN SPORTS Connect FREE TRIAL WATCH NOW Match Overview The battle for a spot in the Round of 16 could be decided in this crucial Group A showdown between Flamengo and Estudiantes. Flamengo lead the group with seven points and can officially lock in qualification with a victory, despite still awaiting a ruling related to the incidents from the Independiente Medellin match. Meanwhile, Estudiantes enter with no margin for error, needing all three points to keep their hopes alive heading into the final Matchday. With major stakes on the line between two tournament favorites, this is a game fans will not want to miss. More details on how to watch With Fubo, you can watch Flamengo vs Estudiantes and tons more games. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV or hook it up to your TV with Google Chromecast. Now with Fubo, you can stream USA Network, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, CBS Sports Network, FS1, FS2, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect, beIN SPORTS XTRA, NBC, CNBC, USA, FOX, FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes, Universo, Telemundo and Galavision. Plus Fubo, the legal streaming service, also streams Liga MX, World Cup, Women’s World Cup, MLS, UEFA Champions League (in Spanish), Europa League (in Spanish), Primeira Liga, Ligue Un, World Cup qualifiers, NWSL, select USMNT games, select USWNT games, select Mexico games, select England games and more. The Fubo app is available for Windows PC, Mac, Apple iPhones, Android phones, Amazon Fire TV, Android Mobile, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Hisense TVs, iOS devices, LG TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, Vizio Smartcast TVs and Xbox One. If you’re planning to follow more games on this platform, you can check out the full Fubo soccer schedule to stay up to date with upcoming matches available via the service. How to watch anywhere with VPN If you’re abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out World Soccer Talk’s guide to the best VPNs for streaming soccer. Free resources available to you Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming. To find out when soccer games are on, download the free Soccer TV Schedules App which includes listings of all of the live soccer matches available in the United States (available on Apple iOS devices and Android devices).
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