Goals are often beautiful because of collective definitions or conceptions. The one from Lautaro Martinez Against Colombia, he enters the second option. Leandro Paredes’ level of precision and skill is worth applauding until the next Copa America. The guy throws himself to the ground, stretches his right leg as if it were a choreography of a musical comedy, takes the ball away from the Colombian player like a pickpocket at a recital, gets up in less than two seconds (literally) with the ball at his feet, looks at his teammate and gives a vertical pass to a “Bull” who, in that sector, seemed like he wasn’t hurting anyone.
In that move is the photo, the intact engine of this Argentine National Team. The “Bull” breaks away from the Colombian bullfighter, stops the ball, feints that he will come out with a dribble, but the bulls do not dribble. The Bull touches and faces, one bullfighter loses him, two lose him, they lose them. The “Bull” leaves the scene, runs like the wild animal of the area that he is.
The ball is that hypnotic element that puts Colombian players on another level. They are no longer bullfighters, they are idiots who watch and run after a ball. Paredes, the one who makes the poster, five seconds later was ready to show the glorious path. He receives, stops and touches. And then Giovani Lo Celso appears in “10” mode.
The mental speed to resolve a pass to the heart of the defense is as painful as that sword that they keep stabbing at the bulls in the Plaza la Santamaría in Bogotá.
Gio makes the pass at the moment that history indicates. El Toro has the best of his runs, there is no bullfighter who can stop him. He runs blind for goal, but with his eyes beautifully open, he runs with the power of a champion, he runs and thinks, he stops slightly, the ball is with him again, he controls it and shoots. El Toro watches as the goalkeeper raises his hands, asks for mercy, but it is too late, the shot goes through, there is no resistance in those gloves, the net swells and from the ground, like a wounded bullfighter, he watches the happy run of an animal of goal.
Consecration and transition
The Copa América had that moment of Argentine ecstasy, Lautaro’s goal crowned a cycle that until now has no ceilings. Argentina shouted “champion” once again with Scaloni as the coach, the fourth title in four years. These numbers are not coincidental, champions are never coincidental.
The work of the boy who was born in Pujato went through a new phase, first was that of knowledge and confidence with the players, the second stage was to execute on the field the idea that was conveyed to him in the rehearsals, the third was to maintain the good results, the fourth was the coronation in the Copa América 2021, a year later he defeated Italy in the Finalísima, the fifth phase was the world championship in Qatar 2022. And he has just finished successfully defending the crown of America. And now?
And now it is time for a change, a transition that the coach has already begun to navigate, new names have begun to be mentioned and the old ones have begun to say goodbye. With Di María and Otamendi at the helm, the national team is beginning to change its face. No one dares to say how much time Messi has left, but we all know that we are seeing the “last battles”, as Lionel himself said.
The intelligence of knowing how to set up the transition in full glory is another characteristic of the very good leadership of Scaloni and his coaching staff. During this period of changes, names such as Garnacho, Carboni and Barco appear. And it would not be surprising if some of the footballers who are in the Olympic Games appear in the next AFA call-ups.
Disaster
The joy that our selection gives us exceeds the limits of what we imagine, such as the limits of ineffectiveness and disorganization in the America Cup that thousands of fans made evident at the entrance to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, or those that Marcelo Bielsa broke in a press conference, hours before playing for third place. El Loco, who is saner than ever, anticipated some truths that we could see during the preview of the final.
Long before that explosive press conference and reviewing the few passages of good football that we were able to see in the country of the capitalist paradise, the Copa América was simply a mess from beginning to end. It began with a bible in hand by a homophobic evangelical pastor (Emilio Agüero Esgaib), a friend of Alejandro Domínguez, the millionaire president of Conmebol who had himself televised in his box before the tenth minute of each match, but those views never reached the level of viralization that the image of “Chiqui” Tapia with the AFA leader alleviating the “heat/fever” in the neck of the Emperor of Barracas.
“It’s a good thing we won. If we had lost, I would say the same thing: we’ve known for seven months that we’re going to play here and two days ago they changed the grass.”this is how Scaloni attacked at the beginning of his press conference after the opening match. “The stadium is beautiful, but with today’s grass it is not up to par for this type of players. Today we beat the rival and the pitch,” he said after winning in the debut.
Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez stated along the same lines: “The pitch was a disaster, it looked like a springboard.”
The coach from Santa Fe, the extraordinary goalkeeper and also the best player in the world spoke about the terrible state of the playing fields. In addition, the Cup also had to deal with unbearable temperatures and acts of violence where security took a large part of the responsibility.
While soccer was all over the country and Latinos were turning up the heat in the stifling northern summer, for Americans it is still a second or third-class sport. The passion in the US is elsewhere, between American football, basketball and tons of junk food they consume, they, faithful to a lifestyle, enjoy a culture perfectly immortalized by Hollywood cinema.
Say it Crazy, say it
The Copa America continued, many people complained in secret, but on the surface no one debated anything. Until the same old Loco arrived, the one who turned 69 on July 22, the one from the family where all the brothers usually throw out uncomfortable truths. Marcelo Bielsa broke the “American dream”where everything happens between good and bad, white and black, rich and poor, heroes and villains. The Madman added complexity to a poor quality film, when nobody expected it he began to vomit truths in the organizers’ house.
The spark that ignited the Bielsa fire was Rodrigo Vázquez’s question (Radio Sport 890): “Are you worried about what the sanctions might be, thinking about what the qualifiers might be like?”
The question came as a result of the serious incidents after the match between Uruguay and Colombia. “How can you ask me that when the only logic that prevails is that there were mothers with babies in their arms, women, sisters, mothers, attacked by spectators, the protection of spectators has nothing to do with the spectacle?! What you should be asking me is whether the players have received an apology for not having protected their families. How can I fear a sanction that is impossible to happen because, if you see that those responsible for one aspect of the spectacle that is being put on…”
There was a tense exchange with part of the Uruguayan press, at which point Bielsa was ready to go straight to the point. Looking him in the eye, the coach pointed out that “questions act in an accomplice manner.” “This is what you have to say, not what I have to say at the risk of opening my mouth”he commented, facing journalists.
The coach began to expose a section of the press. “You are not unaware of all this, you know it perfectly well, but some of these unfortunate people who are on this side always come here to make us open our mouths, so that we don’t point the finger at you and then you are affected in some way.”
There were more uncomfortable truths for this conference. “There are journalists who keep quiet depending on which part of the power they want to favor or harm.” El Loco really “piqued” the issue and laid bare the limitations of journalism to report on a business that, many times, has him as a partner.
The DT was already absolutely exposed to the organization: “The Americans made a mess of the training camps. It couldn’t be clearer. When the United States felt that its interests were under attack, it created FIFAgate with the FBI. But it was for its own interests.. Nothing happened here, this was an extraordinary party with stadiums full… There is nothing to complain about, but we cannot continue to deceive ourselves that the fields are perfect. But we cannot hold a press conference to say that the playing fields are fine.”
Clearly annoyed and after saying “old” on several occasions, he said that the situation was “baby” compared to the six years he worked in Argentina. “And I know one thing,” he said, looking at the journalists. “Did you see this exaltation? It proves me wrong, he is a madman, a lunatic.”
More sensible than ever, he said: “What is needed is to point out those responsible, so that they do not continue to elaborate the procedure that they have been elaborating until now. Whoever speaks, if he exposes them, even with the truth, punishment, sporting punishment, discipline, fear of what we are going to do from Asunción (where the Conmebol headquarters are).”
We will be back
After this Copa América, the 2026 World Cup will take place, with the debut of a new format, 48 teams, 16 more than usual, and 104 matches. Canada, Mexico and the USA will be the hosts.
The organizers of popcorn soccer will once again be at the center of the scene. What surprises will be in store for us? At most, Donald Trump will be giving a welcome to the shots and Milei will be putting on a Jewish-capitalist show, wearing the mask of Enzo Fernández, during the half-time of France against Angola.
