LAFC fans received a glimpse into what Francisco Ginella could offer during the 2020 MLS season, as the newly-acquired midfielder scored the game-winner in Uruguay’s 1-0 victory over Peru on Tuesday night in a Conmebol Pre-Olympic qualifier.
Ginella gathered the ball in space and rifled home to the goalkeeper’s left in the 11th minute. He was subbed off in the 71st minute, but his goal was enough to give Uruguay six points through all four Group B matches. La Celeste will now await results from the remaining preliminary matches to see if they’ll advance to the knockout phase.
Ginella, 21, was signed by the reigning Supporters’ Shield champions from Montevideo Wanderers on Dec. 16 using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). Uruguay’s win over Peru also featured Ginella’s LAFC teammate, winger Diego Rossi, while their opponents fielded San Jose Earthquakes left back Marcos Lopez.
As final qualifiers unfold, keep an eye out for New York Red Bulls midfielder Cristian Casseres Jr. when Venezuela take on Argentina and New York City FC forward Valentin Castellanos tomorrow. There's also Colombia vs. Chile on Thursday, with the former including the LAFC duo of midfielder Eduard Atuesta and center back Eddie Segura.
On Friday, Lopez and Peru will take on Bolivia. Then, the final match pits NYCFC forward Jesus Medina and Portland Timbers midfielder Christian Paredes with Paraguay against Brazil.
The Conmebol Pre-Olympic Tournament sees teams split into two groups of five, with the top two nations from each group advancing. From there, South America’s two representatives at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo will be decided. The Olympics, held every four years, will feature 16 teams of U-23 players, though each country is allowed to bring three overage players.
