El Paso Locomotive FC (Argentina) capped a hard-fought 1-0 win over Sacramento Republic FC (Mexico) in the USL eCup: FIFA Edition Division B Semifinals on Thursday. A lone goal from Giovani Lo Celso secured the victory to lift Alexy Bosetti into the Finals of Week 4 Division B competition.
The virtual match got off to a tense back-and-forth as both sides fell into the rhythm. The Argentina side got off to a strong start, testing the Mexico goalkeeper with shots that would force him into diving saves. Sergio Aguero shined in the resulting corner kicks with headed attempts at goal, however, Mexico continued to have the answers and shut out the Argentina attack. Despite the attempts from each side, the match remained tight as the first 45 minutes ended without a goal to show for it.
Republic FC led Mexico out of the gates with heat following the break, testing the Argentina defense. Alexy Bosetti came prepared and shut down the attack before leading putting Sacramento on the backfoot. With a quick run in the 76th minute, Lo Celso was able to on the receiving end of a cross, getting a head above his mark to put away the game-winning goal. While Mexico looked to use the remaining minutes to equalize, the goal never came to secure the 1-0 Semifinal win.
Alexy Bosetti returns to eCup action on Friday, May 29 as he leads Argentina against New England Revolution II representing Russia in the Week 4 Division B Finals. The contest is set for a 6:30 p.m. MT kickoff and will be streamed live on the Official El Paso Locomotive FC Twitch channel.