Argentina held as Bellamy hits target

Wales's  manager Mark Hughes has said he will be happy to sit down with Sven-Goran Eriksson and pass on any information the Swede wants on Argentina.

Wales...1

Argentian...1

If they meet, the England coach will scarcely be surprised to hear who was most responsible for ensuring the South Americans avoided an embarrassing defeat last night.

Juan Sebastian Veron, who played for Eriksson in Italy, dictated matters in a fashion he has not recently managed for Manchester United and set up Julio Cruz's equaliser to Craig Bellamy's first-half header.

With so many key men missing, this was not the Argentina who will play in Japan. They dominated for the main part without creating many chances but Wales' gutsy display and occasional exploitation of weaknesses has still demystified the great South American beast.

To simulate the conditions Argentina will face when they play England in Sapporo in June, the roof here was closed. There was no suggestion early on that it would fall in on Wales despite Argentina dictating play.

With the Boca Juniors playmaker Juan Ramon Riquelme in an advanced midfield position, the visitors operated almost with four up front, including two wide. Their willingness to push even more players forward, particularly down the flanks, summed up the attacking philosophy England can expect from Marcelo Bielsa's side.

Wales barely had a touch of the ball in the opening 15 minutes as Argentina, with Veron dictating from deep, enjoyed plenty of neat possession. Robbie Savage did get a characteristically late touch on Veron's shins, which earned him a booking.

Yet Argentina manufactured few clear chances. Cruz failed to exploit a defensive mix-up. Then Paul Jones made two saves in quick succession, the second from the lively Claudio Caniggia, before Claudio Husain put the rebound over.

After a one-sided opening, Hughes' team began to hold their own. Confirmation that Argentina could be undone at the back came in a flurry of pressure. John Hartson's physical presence was causing problems and a good surge by Bellamy almost put the Celtic striker through.

Attack certainly seemed the best form of defence against Bielsa's tactics, which rely on playing as much as possible in the opposing half. At set-pieces and deep crosses Argentina had uneasy moments, too.

It was a corner from which they scored in the 34th minute, Ryan Giggs delivering from the right for the 5ft 8in Bellamy to head in at the far post. The stadium went predictably wild.

In their search for an equaliser, Argentina began the second half with the authority they had shown at the start. Wales again found possession hard to find and Veron hit the bar with an inswinging corner.

Argentina were now building sustained pressure, though by the time Veron put a shot inches wide from the edge of the area, Hartson had wasted an opportunity to put Wales further ahead.

With Veron driving Argentina forward with a box-to-box performance, it was little surprise that it was his pass which sent through Cruz to score with a low shot.

Guardian Service

WALES: Paul Jones (Crossley 46), Delaney, Speed, Melville, Page, Pembridge (Carl Robinson 89), Savage, Bellamy, Hartson, Davies, Giggs (John Robinson 61). Subs Not Used: Barnard, Trollope, Christian Edwards, Haworth, Gabbidon. Booked: Savage, Page, Hartson. Goal: Bellamy 34.

ARGENTINA: Saja, Chamot, Sorin, Vivas, Husain, Placente, Caniggia (Galletti 89), Riquelme (Aimar 74), Cruz (Saviola 74), Veron, Kily Gonzalez. Subs Not Used: Bonano, Dominguez, Cambiasso, Quiroga, Solari. Booked: Chamot, Veron, Husain. Goal: Cruz 61. Attendance: 65,000.

Referee: P McKeon (Rep of Ire).