Manuel Lanzini travelled halfway around the world last week in order to represent his country in friendly encounters against Chile and Mexico.
However the attacking midfielder will probably be wondering why he bothered this morning after he was given a total of just 13 minutes on the field by Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni.Having remained on the bench for the duration of last week's goalless draw with Chile, the 26-year-old was expected to play a more prominent role in this morning's meeting with Mexico in Texas' Alamodome Stadium.
However Lanzini was once again consigned to the substitutes bench for much of the game and only appeared as a 77th-minute replacement for Sporting midfielder Marcos Acuna - one of six second half subs made by Scaloni.
By that time the game had long been decided, with Argentina having roared into a four-goal lead after just 39 minutes with strikes from Leandro Paredes and a hat trick by Inter's Lautaro Martinez.
Javier Hernandez, who left West Ham for Seville earlier this month was an unused substitute for the Mexicans; extended highlights from the game may be seen below (Spanish commentary).
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