The El Salvador team would play against Argentina in the United States in mid-March – – 2024-02-19 03:30:12

The Argentine team does not know where it will play the two friendlies of the double FIFA window in mid-March. Both matches become relevant due to the team’s prior preparation to compete in the Copa América in June and July, the team’s main objective for the year.

Until a few days ago, Lionel Messi and company were going to travel to China to face Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The first crossing was to take place in Hangzhou, and the second in the capital, Beijing. But the tour was canceled due to “operational issues” and AFA did not confirm new rivals or venues. The Argentine newspaper La Nación points out that the opponents would be El Salvador and Nigeria, in that order.

The idea of ​​Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia, the president of AFA, is for the Albiceleste team to play those two games in the United States. If possible, on the east coast. On the one hand, to acclimatize to the country in which he will try to retain the title of subcontinental champion.

In the last few hours, AFA received a proposal to star in the two friendlies with Central American rivals: El Salvador and Costa Rica, possibly in Washington and Orlando. However, the Ticos are close to confirming a friendly for March 26 with Trinidad and Tobago. Then, the first rival would be El Salvador. And the second? One of the two African teams that were suspended due to the cancellation of the Asian tour: Nigeria.

“The first match is with El Salvador and the second, Nigeria,” confirmed an AFA source strictly off the record. The stadiums? Determined. .

El Salvador (81st in the latest FIFA ranking), above all, and Nigeria (28th, after rising 14 places after second place in the African Cup) are not elite opponents for a world champion team.

In any case, the two preparatory meetings may well serve to train players or finish inserting them into the team’s scaffolding. After all, in a friendly in the United States against Jamaica (the first in preparation for the Qatar 2022 World Cup) Scaloni made Enzo Fernández debut with the albiceleste shirt. The then Benfica midfielder did not miss a pass and crashed a shot into a post in the 3-0 lead for the Argentine team. That was the certainty that the coach needed to include him in the final list for the World Cup. The rest is history.

AFA wants the team to hold two more friendlies after those in March, before the official competition. The most likely thing is that the champion will face Honduras and Ecuador, also in the United States, and that these matches will serve for Scaloni to finish outlining the squad with a view to the Copa América. Then, Argentina would have four preparation games to defend the crown. Scaloni preferred European and high-class world-class rivals. He won’t have them. Yes enough filming.