-Experimental Argentina beat El Salvador 2-0 in friendly

Midfielder Ever Banega breached the packed Salvadorean defence in the 54th minute of a one-sided match when his shot from outside the box took a deflection off a defender and looped over goalkeeper Derby Carrillo.

Substitute midfielder Federico Mancuello, making his Argentina debut, brilliantly curled a free kick from a tight angle over Carrillo and into the top far corner with two minutes remaining to secure the win at a freezing FedEx Field near Washington D.C.

"We played the match we had expected, we had to be patient," Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said.

"We were going to have a lot of ball in reduced spaces and the middle distance option was valid in this kind of match."

Martino said Messi, who is nursing a knock he suffered to his right foot during the La Liga 'clasico' against Real Madrid last week, had felt uncomfortable in training.

"The first day he trained well, the second he felt pain and the third he couldn't get his shoe on ... The people want to see him play but physically he couldn't," Martino told Argentine TV broadcaster TyC Sports after the 54,000 crowd clamoured for Messi to come on.

Carlos Tevez made his first start for Argentina since coming back from nearly four years in the wilderness late last year while Gonzalo Higuain, Pablo Zabaleta, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Di Maria were the only World Cup players in the starting side.

Messi is hoping to be fit for Argentina's next match against Ecuador in New Jersey on Tuesday.

Argentina face holders Uruguay, Paraguay and Jamaica in Group B at the Copa America in Chile, which kicks off on June 11.