South American giants Argentina have crashed out of this year’s Olympic Games after ending third in Group C following a 1-1 draw against Honduras, who progressed to the quarter-finals for the second successive tournament.
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Honduras advanced along with Portugal, which won Group D with seven points after a 1-1 draw against last-place Algeria in Belo Horizonte.
Argentina, who won the Olympics in 2004 and 2008, needed a win to guarantee qualification from group D after both they and Honduras had lost to Portugal and beaten Algeria in their opening two group games.
Jonathan Calleri squandered the best chance for Argentina in a goalless first half by steering wide, while Leandro Vega could have also hit the target from close-range. A shot by Honduras captain Bryan Acosta was saved by Argentina goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli just before halftime; Argentina playmaker Angel Correa hit the post in the 55th.
Nils Petersen scored five times, while Maximilian Meyer added a hat trick and Serge Gnabry added a brace for the dominant Germans at the Mineirao, which was the scene of the senior team’s 7-1 World Cup semifinal defeat of Brazil in 2014.
The exit marks yet another failure for Argentina at youth level, after also going out of the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups in the first round past year.
There won’t be a third soccer gold medal for Argentina. Wednesday’s draw meant Honduras’ superior goal difference saw them through.
In addition to Argentina, defending champions Mexico were eliminated after falling 1-0 to South Korea. The country’s federation is in financial chaos, and the Olympic team was left without a coach when Gerardo Martino resigned a month before the Rio Games. It was eliminated by Brazil at the quarterfinals in 2012 in London. The Portuguese side took the lead through Porto striker Paciencia after 25 minutes before Mohammed Benkablia equalized for Algeria five minutes later.
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The men’s soccer tournament is played with under-23 squads but nations can add three older players.
