The matches for the seventh round of the qualifying rounds left worrying conclusions, especially for the countless followers of the great Albiceleste team, who this last Thursday playing at home in the new stadium in Santiago del Estero could not even achieve a victory against their counterpart from Chile . The 1-1 draw at the Madre de Cities stadium in Santiago de Cuba did not satisfy anyone and made it clear that the Argentine coach today occupies that position more for personal than sporting reasons. The criticisms in the last hours of the sports media were lapidary with the Argentine coach, among them that of the most important radio sports reporter of today who maintained that “Scaloni is a terrible coach who did not win anything”, concepts that Gabriel Anello overturned during the post-game severely irritated by a listless home team that remains until further notice, as “Messi-dependent” as it was in other times.
Without too many attacks from both formations and with a lot of intentional leg in the midfield, only at 22 minutes the equality was broken. Guillermo Maripán brushed against striker Lautaro Martínez, after some lobbying and the final consultation with the VAR, the referee Jesús Valenzuela charged the maximum penalty, which was converted by Lionel Messi into the play that could open the game, but which ended due to the pressure of the trans-Andean players. the joy of the opening on the scoreboard did not last long, because 13 minutes later, a free kick by Charles Aránguiz found Gary Medel well placed that surprised the Argentine defense, a quick play where the very fast qualification of Alexis Sánchez ended with the tie for the Chileans, doing justice on the scoreboard for what both had shown in the first part of the game played in the new court in Santiago del Estero.
The end of the first half and the remaining 45 minutes were a plummet from start to finish in the Santiago field, except for two balls from the Argentine number ten that brought some danger to the Chilean fence, a squad that from minute 13 of the second half It took time for the national team to adjust its lines and not allow any more dangerous play in the goal of Claudio Bravo, goalkeepers who showed great security under the three sticks, infecting his teammates with enthusiasm to go for more in the last quarter of time when the Argentine initial wear had left them without legs. The match that corresponded to the seventh date of the elimination phase, undoubtedly a lot was played with the calculator in hand, both coaches knowing that with this tie both today have their place assured in the next World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar.
There were players who exhibited a very low professional level, such as Ángel Di María or the young midfielder Ocampo, surprising Nahuel Molina by relieving the deconcentrated midfielder, a debutant who not only did not get the national team shirt, but also showed that these games are ideal for people without fear and good will. Juan Foyth left a good image, but it is clear that he and Montiel cannot play together. The changes that Scaloni put in the second half exposed the concern of the erratic Argentine coach, modifications that made it clear that the initial proposal was wrong from end to end by the local team’s DT. The goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was not really demanded by the visitors, but as always happens, in the few that he had to rush to resolve instantly, he ended up causing more concern within the team than compliance with his presence in the Argentine goal.
Cristian Romero was one of the rookies who gave the Argentine fans illusions, but most of the starting eleven was a headache for coach Scaloni. In defense, Martínez Quarta only contributed to confusion, De Paul wandered long stretches of the game lost and Leandro Paredes never seemed to connect with the need that the home team had to play faster. Lionel Messi was really marked with great care by the trans-Andean people and there were very few glimpses of what he can do. Scaloni believed that by piling up people in the middle he would achieve better ball management and never generated dangerous attacks for the rival, which exposed some freedom for the visitors who despite not attacking much in the complement had some risky plays for the fence guarded by Martinez.
After the game, the few who stood in front of the television microphone or those who consulted the squad before getting on the microphone, naturally made a notable display of the best cassette assemblies to justify what happened. The “top excuse”, cited by the entire squad, including its coach, was as expected that of “the six months without playing for the pandemic”, but those justifications only exposed much more to a team without a soul, and to a situation classic of the selections that Messi integrates in these decades. The strength of the filthy local tie was the rear face that Ángel Di María exposed when the coach took him out to put someone cooler, something that did not contribute to his replacement in a match that had already signed the tie in the quarter of time for the second part. The specialists say that the cycle of “Poroto” Di María in the national team is over, but the games continue and the forward seems to have more lives than Sean Connery in “Highlander”.
Something simply hilarious were the justifications of Leonel Scaloni to explain according to his eyes the tie against the Chileans, moments where his excuses seemed in a high percentage taken from the usual lectures by Miguel Ángel Russo, something ridiculous and forgettable. The Argentine coach took out a central to put another, made this squad more than ever very “Messi-dependent” and above all, after so many tests, he did not find the double five that would convince him. In terms of football, Argentina fell back a lot and the coach cannot find the team, a situation that is worsened now that he must travel to Colombia on Monday to play the next day with the national team. Without convictions and with a team that continues to add game hours without justifying their presence there, fighting the classification within the first four will force not to err too much in the rival arc, since those who come behind closely follow the Albiceleste team. Argentina with this inconsequential draw could not rise to the top of the group and if Brazil wins it will stretch the difference with the Albiceleste team. A new sports disappointment, long before a circus to pay a holographic tribute to a recently disappeared legend and little football on the field. Nobody is enthusiastic about the team and at this point no one assigns it a leading place in the next World Cup to achieve the coveted three-time world championship.
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