A Neyser Villareal treble saw Colombia edge a five-goal thriller with Spain, while Argentina ensured they would join them with a well-deserved victory over Mexico at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™.
Spain 2-3 Colombia
Spain goals: Virgili (56), Belaid (59)
Colombia goals: Villareal (38, 64 & 89)
Neyser Villareal hit a hat-trick to take Colombia beyond Spain in Talca. Both sides enjoyed chances in the first half but it was Colombia who led at the break, as Oscar Perea played Jordan Barrera in-behind, who squared for Villareal to finish.
That goal looked unlikely to be the end of it and so it proved. First, Jan Virgili stole in to equalise from a pinpoint Jesus Fortea cross, before Rayane Belaid fired high into the roof of Colombia’s net. Villareal then capped a barmy eight-minute spell when he slotted home an exceptional Jhon Renteria through ball.
Both goalkeepers were called upon soon after, as Spain’s Fran Gonzalez made two exceptional saves to deny Julian Bazan, either side of a close-range Jordan Garcia stop from namesake Pablo. Gonzalez was powerless to stop Villareal, though, as the forward capitalised on a mix-up in the Spain defence to run through and poke home the winner.
Stat
Colombia will play an U-20 World Cup semi-final for the first time since United Arab Emirates 2003. That match, incidentally, was a 1-0 loss to Spain.
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Mexico 0-2 Argentina
Argentina goals: Carrizo (9), Silvetti (56)
Argentina netted early in each half to breeze through to the last eight. The Young Albicelete hit the front with the first chance of note. Gianluca Prestianni threaded an incisive pass to Valentino Acuna, and while his shot was parried, Maher Carrizo was there to gobble up the rebound.
Mateo Silvetti replaced top scorer Alejo Sarco at half-time and quickly made his presence felt. Fellow substitute Juan Villalba broke from defence and sent an inch-perfect pass through to the nippy front man, who showed exceptional composure to finish beyond Emmanuel Ochoa.
The Mexicans ought to have halved the deficit in the final ten minutes when Cesar Garza robbed Tobias Ramirez in the box, but Tahiel Jimenez fired his shot straight at Santino Barbi. Any hopes of a comeback were extinguished in added time, as both Diego Ochoa and Jimenez were sent off following separate an off-the-ball incidents.
Quotes
“[I’m] very happy, it was a tough match against a great opponent. We knew they were going to have possession for a long time, that we had to defend and, when we had the ball, play with it. We had players to counter-attack and also to keep possession.”
Diego Placente, Argentina coach
Stat
Maher Carrizo has become the first Argentinian to score three goals in the knockout stage since Sergio Aguero at Canada 2007.
