It is rather common for the stars of FC Barcelona to also shine bright on the international stage. Lamine Yamal and Joao Cancelo did so just recently for Spain and Portugal respectively. Both the Spanish forward and the Portuguese fullback contributed a goal each and magic to their respective sides.
However, they were not the only ones to do so in the latest set of international games. While these two contributed to their team’s tallies in Europe, another one of the pillars of Barcelona helped his side win a memorable game all the way over in South America.
Within the Bombonera, it was Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo who shined for Uruguay. More importantly, he shined for Uruguay against the World Champions and the Ballon d’Or winner. Argentina and Lionel Messi were the unfortunate victims of a great display by the Uruguayans.
As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Ronald Araujo’s opening goal and performance were both crucial to his side’s victory. Starting Araujo as a right-back, Marcelo Bielsa acknowledged the influence he had borrowed from Xavi and Barcelona.
“How could Araujo not play as a fullback, if in Barcelona he is utilized as one to mark one of the best wingers in the world, Vinicius Jr?”
And so he did. After his statement in regards of where Araujo could play, Bielsa remained true to his words and had Araujo play as the team’s starting right-back.
The 24-year-old defender would also be the one to open the scoring for Uruguay and the game itself. In the 41st minute of the game, the player came running across the right flank into the Argentina box.
On the left flank simultaneously, Uruguayan teammate Matias Vina was fighting for a ball that he then managed to hold onto just long enough to see Araujo running towards the goal.
He crossed a low pass into the path of the running defender. Araujo then managed to strike the ball with enough power and precision to beat Emiliano Martinez at the far post and convert the chance.
This goal would be the first of two that the Uruguayans would manage to score against Argentina. Bielsa’s team powered through the game with intensity and precision. Taking full advantage of any and all chances that came their way, they made sure to make Argentina suffer.
The Barcelona star is now among the many faces of this new generation of Uruguay. Alongside Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde, Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur, it seems that Uruguay has a new potential golden generation to count on.
