Benin’s hopes of recovering from a difficult start against Argentina suffered a major setback as they went into half-time 3-0 down in their second Group A match at the Women’s U-20 World Cup.
The Amazones U20 were under pressure from the opening stages and struggled to impose their rhythm on the contest. Argentina controlled the early exchanges, forcing Benin to spend much of the first half defending rather than building attacks of their own.
The pressure told in the 16th minute when Julia Vinhas opened the scoring. Benin were unable to prevent Argentina from finding space in the attacking areas, and the South American side took advantage of their dominance to establish an early lead.
Benin’s difficulties continued after the half-hour mark. Defensive weaknesses allowed Argentina to extend their advantage in the 32nd minute, with Mercedes Dis scoring to make it 2-0. The goal gave Argentina a clearer grip on the match and left Benin facing an increasingly difficult challenge before the interval.
There was still time for Argentina to add a third. In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Paz found the net to give the South American side a 3-0 lead. Benin therefore went into the dressing room needing a dramatic change in fortunes after conceding three times before the break.
The Beninese attack had been unable to make an impact during the opening 45 minutes. Romaine Gandonou and her team-mates were kept quiet as Argentina maintained control and limited their opportunities to threaten in the final third.
Benin now face the task of producing a very different performance after the interval. They must show greater resistance defensively and find a way to become more effective in possession and attack if they are to put pressure on Argentina and attempt to turn the match around.
Argentina’s first-half display left them in a commanding position, while Benin were left searching for a response after a period in which they had been dominated from the start. The three-goal deficit means the Amazones U20 need a substantial second-half reaction to give themselves any hope of changing the outcome.