Argentine NT: News, Stats & Players [R]

All the front 3 scored today.

 

Every forward has scored now. Nice

 

It's painful. Enzo unlike 2022 is unwilling to take players on or make through passes or switch the ball over & around. He is playing within himself. He needs to find himself as opposed to being a metronome merchant.

Otamendi needs to go. Awkward on the ball. And yet again Bolivia did have a free aerial chance early on. Molina also needs to up his level. Suckered in twice.

RDP is not there. I think he believes his own hype. Some of this lot need removing, others need a kick up the backside by being replaced to remind them their spots are not automatic. Scaloni must do this.

At present just Emi, Tag, Romero, Mac & Messi & Lautaro are playing at where they should be

 

Lautaro at WC.

 

Three point night for Leo. Leo has improved his dead ball delivery. It wasn't too bad but he's putting spin & whip and precision on it now.

 

After the WC, you'd notice he'd often look for Messi to pass to even though sometimes he dont have too.

Fun fact : Messi has equalled his WC 2010 qualifier goal tally. There's still many matches left this time though. He has at least 4 goals at minimum in every qualifiers.

 

Scaloni, please play Balerdi and one of the pibes please.

That's all I ask for in the 2nd half.

 

Scaloni : Lets wait till 85th min or 5-0 or till we mathematically qualify.

 

They said we will never see anyone like Diego. And perhaps Messi isn't quite the same sort of character & certainly doesn't exhibit the outrageous flair ie flick passes although I am sure he is quite capable of those but every thirty or so years sees the One turn up a la Matrix.

I reckon the likelihood of seeing the One from Argentina given how football is developed in the nation is quite high.

 

Balerdi for Otamendi, Soler for Tagliafico & Palacios for RDP. Sadly I think Scaloni & co will sit on their hands again.

Personally Placente is the best coach for me. Always is looking for new players & coaches whatever side he has charge of really well to play nice attractive & winning football.

 

True, the gap between Maradona retirement and Messi debut is very short. Maradona last proper game I believe was in late 97 I think ? Messi debuted less than a decade later. In long stretch of football history, that's a blink of an eye.

Then again, I still think we wont see anything like those two again in long time but winning the WC again? yes, we won WC before Diego and won Copa many times before Messi.

 

@Bada Bing probably can come up with 20 gifs of Messi highlights today.

 

With a well coached team & players of a high level no reason we cannot win the WC in 2030 & 2034. Most nations would give their right arm to have the amount of talent we have coming through defensively & in midfield & I reckon one of the several forward pibes will explode in a season or so.

 

I believe Scaloni will leave the NT regardless the WC 2026 outcome and I hope Placente takes over.

 

Yep, WC 22 and CA 21, Messi had about 20 goals contribution but recent Copa proof we can win major tournament without relying on Messi.

 

Otamendi almost scoring as many goal as Messi...

 

Worse possible thing to occur. Otamendi scores in these two matches. I'm gonna throw my chair threw the window.

 

Oh dear. Otamendi again but it's offside. VAR check surely. Surely onside.

 

Makes some subs, Scaloni. The game is over. Bring on the kids.

 

The most ridiculous part of VAR is exactly this. Its far from offside but we survived Suparmario's wrath.

The ref somehow looks like Lampard.

 

Tag ballsed it up for Otamendi. Shame.

 

Mac, unlucky.

 

Is it really?

 

Almada instead of Ballerdi.

 

So terribly predictable from Scaloni.

No sign of Soler or Balerdi. The pibes must be frustrated. Varela needs to come into this side ahead of Messi's inner circle man Paredes.