The Argentine Olympic football dream is no more. A 1-1 draw against Honduras sealed the nation's fate, leaving them marooned in third place in Group D and heading for an early trip home.
And after years of underachievement in the youth game, this latest failure is hardly surprising.
There was a time not long ago when the Albiceleste name was synonymous with success at the junior level. Teams coached by Marcelo Bielsa and Sergio Batista took Argentina to back-to-back Olympic successes in 2004 and 2008, respectively, cementing their reputation.
In the under-20 category there was also glory, with the teams that clinched two World Cup victories in 2005 and 2007 forming the backbone of the current senior squad.