Argentina 1-0 Ecuador: Di Maria winner seals friendly win

Argentina 1-0 Ecuador: Di Maria winner seals friendly win

• Argentina beat Ecuador 1-0 in their first pre-Copa America friendly, with Angel Di Maria getting their winner on Sunday.

Angel Di Maria's first-half finish secured an easy 1-0 win for Argentina in a Copa America warm-up match against Ecuador. Di Maria scored five minutes before the break in Chicago on Sunday, capping off a fine team move, with Lionel Messi sitting out as Lionel Scaloni aims to manage his minutes before the tournament.

Argentina, the reigning Copa America champions, were rarely threatened in defence, though without Messi, struggled to add to their lead. La Albiceleste face Guatemala in a final warm-up match ahead of their title defence.

"It was a deserved win. We have to keep working as we always do and stay as united," Di Maria said. "Ecuador are an opponent we could meet in the Copa. We know it's going to be a very difficult tournament. Today was a good game to show what we can do."

It may have only finished 1-0, but Argentina were largely in control. They finished with 11 shots to Ecuador's five, but did not face a single shot on target. Argentina ended the match with 1.02 xG to Ecuador's 0.11.  Ecuador are fancied to impress at the Copa, but they will have to show more potency in attack than they did on Sunday.