FIFA World Cup 2018: Argentina vs. Croatia - June 21 [R]

Which is why we need a psychologist on board. Someone to have a chat with the players and take the burden off them. It does help to have players in a relaxed frame of mind. I'd just tell Leo.

Do your thing. You're the best in the world and we are all behind you. It's just another match.

 

Messi needs to get a lucky goal like a deflection or a simple tap in.

 

Really, at this point I dont think its gonna work , at least not that simple. He had lost many finals with Argentina.

What should they do ? well, the other players simply has to step up and win the game even without Messi goal or assist! Other teams dont rely on one player to win the game , so why cant Argentina? (Portugal won Euro without CR playing the final) . This is obviously the manager's task . In term of indiviual skills, Argentina is still one of the best if you take out Messi.

 

If they want that to happen, then Messi must play much closer to the goal. I even think that maybe Dybala can play in Messi position and Messi play as a #9, or at least as a fake #9 like against Ecuador where Benedetto kept moving to the right while Messi run straight to the center to score. I know its crazy idea, but we all must be frustrated to see Messi picking up the ball 45 yards all the time.


I still have faith on Sampa if he really bench Biglia . With a much more active midfielder , the midfield will be more compact and move the ball faster to the front. When you play Biglia, you're basically play with one less player in midfield because he hardly making any run/covering any space , thus Masche needs to cover Biglia's job while also trying to pass the ball forward by himself.

 

I really feel like Sampa is over experimenting with this lineup. He has an obsession with accommodating those wingers like salvio and Acuna but truth they just don't fit our style. I am thinking we are better off building from the middle. We should just show our hand and play the most talented players we have. If it doesn't work then at least no regrets and what ifs.

Why not play Ansaldi and tagli in their traditional role in a back line of 4. Mascherano as holding mid, lo celso and meza/Perez slotting in. And just play dybala and Aguero with messi behind them. Defenders will have nightmares dealing with those 3 especially if they interchange positions like Messi tend to do. Bring Pavon second half for Dybala.

 

I just hope our players play with a leveled head and not pick up a red card when things get rough.

 

He's the biggest mufa of all. Kinda wish he didn't go to games.

 

Haven't checked it, but someone mentioned that today, according to OLE, Sampa may start be the following team
Mercado-Ota-Taglia
Salvio-Mashe-Meza-Acuna
Messi-Kun-Pavon.

 

It is between Enzo and Meza.

 

I would prefer Perez ahead of Meza in there. And Lo Celso before him. Balance wise I think that is a far more secure midfield while still offering something going forward. But we have no idea what Perez is like at the moment in terms of match fitness and sharpness.

Sampaoli seems to be rolling out individual gameplans for each opponent based on the analysis done by his team. Not only is he aiming to cut down supply from Pjaca/Rebix and Perisic but squeeze that midfield and sit on Modric and Rakitic.

Lo Celso has to be the unluckiest player at this point in time unless he is carrying a knock which we don't know about. He could well be our best box to box player since the magnificent incomparable Redondo.

 

I believe Croatia will use Kovacic to man-mark Leo, as he has done it before when Madrid played Barcelona. So, the game cannot simply go through Messi, i.e. give him the ball and GTHOOTW.

 

Latest update

https://www.tycsports.com/nota/sele...utm_campaign=superdestacado1largay2verticales

 

just wondering why are there constant leaks of the lineup and formation that we are working on for the past few days? The few days before the Iceland game, Sampa started the same starting XI in training and in game. Surely, it makes it likely that is going to be our line up for Croatia and the opponents know what we are working on and try to counter that? I know the team is in a different country so it is not possible to hide everything the team does, but I really do think that they should do better

 

The problem with loading up on the wings is that its useless if your wingbacks are afraid to run at defenders. Icardi would have been perfect for getting on the end of crosses from both sides, but since Aguero is the starting striker and hes short, it puts more pressure on the wings to get more accurate passes in. Maybe Samp is trying to play the ball through Messi in the middle and have the wingers get behind the defence?

And also, how is that lineup even going to defend corners? Literally the tallest is Otamendi and everybody else is pretty short compared to some of Croatia's giants

 

I hope we get to see something like this if we are going 3 at the back

Mercado--Otamendi--Tagliafico
Salvio--Mascherano--Enzo--Acuna
------------------Messi
---------Dybala--------Aguero

 

true true but i feel the reported formation need like an enganche more than having a flat front three. Or maybe Messi is going to go deep from his right wing from the reported formation anyways so it'll probably be the same regardless lol

 

Yes accurate cross is needed, Di Maria's crossess these days can be all over the place. Since Aguero is short, using Di Maria to put an aerial cross will only makes everything worst. Pavon love to take on defenders and put a low crosses and this certainly will work better for Aguero and Messi.

This is what happen when you dont take player like Icardi who's really good at anticipating a loose ball, and most of all he's tall enough and a great header . Japan just scored a header through their 182cm forward.

Now wtf Higuain's doing in the 23 ? he'll be just another waste of space alongside Biglia

 

How tall is Otamendi actually? Doesn't look more than 180cm. I miss garay. Is fazio really that slow ?

 

Otamendi is 183cm according to Wiki although he does look much shorter to me lol. One of the problem for Argentina since Ayala retired is that they dont have defender who's really good at man on man making. Droga even said after their WC game that Ayala is the best man marker he ever played against.

Players like Ayala, Maldini and Puyol aint fast but they know how mark and read opponents movement. Fazio isnt fast, but he has a great aerial ability and actually scored quite lots of goal with header. He has 20+ goals in his career despite being CB.

Rumor always claimed that Garay for whatever reason doesnt want to be called up but in his recent words, its totally the opposite.



http://mundoalbiceleste.com/2018/03/29/ezequiel-garay-never-gave-argentina/

Again , I'm trying not to believe that Messi only wants all his friends to be there, but the first game line up seems to indicate otherwise. 9 players in total from 05-07 generation played in that game.

 

Without monday's newspapers (?), i have to say i really like the formation against Croatia.

Maybe with Armani instead of Caballero and Enzo Pérez for Meza.

 

Prob not a popular opinion but I hope Samp plays Tagliafico as the left wingback and plays Rojo in that LCB spot. If he thinks that Fazio is too slow for a back 3 at least Rojo can defend aerials better than a 171cm Tagliafico. It really doesn't matter how good Tagliafico is positionally as a CB you just can't replace 15-20 cm of height difference. Every corner would be way too dangerous.

 

If Rojo is playing, I actually prefer him on left like in 2014. He'll never be good playing at center.