Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal made a return from injury for Chile in a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland while Argentina got a 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago though the margin should have been wider.
Vidal’s unscathed return in the closing 13 minutes against Northern Ireland is a boost for Chile after he had undergone knee surgery in early May and missed the conclusion of the league season with Juventus.
Chile also started the warm-up match without Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez and striker Eduardo Vargas, and their absence was felt in the match as Chile struggled against their opponents in a goalless first half.
Sanchez and Vargas came on in the second half to light up the Chile attack, with Vargas breaking the deadlock after 79 minutes after Sanchez set him up for the goal with a chipped pass.
Sanchez would be the provider once again, for his fifth assist in two matches for Chile, as he set Mauricio Pinalli up for Chile’s second to seal a result that was in doubt for long.
In Buenos Aires, Barcelona star Lionel Messi was bowed to by a Trinidad and Tobago player before the start of the match which ended 3-0 in favour of Argentina.
Argentina dominated proceedings from the start but were profligate in front of goal as Messi scooped over when he had an open goal opportunity, while Rodrigo Palacio, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel di Maria also squandered chances.
Palacio finally broke the deadlock when the first half seemed destined to end goalless, heading in a Di Maria cornerkick in the first minute of added time in the first half.
Javier Mascherano doubled Argentina’s lead five minutes into the second half with a rebound after Messi’s freekick came of the woodwork.
Then Maxi Rodriguez scored the third just after the hour mark after being put through by Palacio, who went off injured soon after with an ankle strain.
In another friendly match finished early this morning, goals in each half from Edinson Cavani and substitute Christian Stuani gave Uruguay a 2-0 win over Slovenia in a match Uruguay were without Luis Suarez once again.
And Cote D’Ivoire recovered from a 2-1 loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina with a less than convincing 2-1 win over El-Salvador, courtesy of first half goals from Gervinho and Didier Drogba.