Beyond the great goals, the show by Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María, the undefeated gaining weight and the health that this Selection showsthere was a sort of final test in Abu Dhabi before the debut on Tuesday the 22nd against Saudi Arabia.
From the coaching staff they felt that there are some similarities between UAE and the former’s rival, although the former is expected to have greater defensive stamina and less ingenuity.
This in terms of the possible proposal of teams aware of their inferiority compared to Messi and company. In short, little or no offensive ambition, many people accumulated in a few meters, handing the ball and responsibility to Scaloni’s men. It didn’t happen in Abu Dhabi, but it can complicate and it is known that the debut brings emotional variables that shouldn’t be excluded. Iceland, in 2018, is a good example. Not to be underestimated is the fact that only seven of the 26 players in the squad have World Cup experience.
The mother idea was then seen in the first half. A selection that has tried to combine patience and pressure. Patience for not being in a hurry, choosing the passages well and not despairing. The latter didn’t happen as the first goal came quickly, after 16 minutes (from against, with Messi’s assist for Julián Álvarez), but it may not happen again. Pressure to recover the ball quickly and as close as possible to the opponent’s goal.
With De Paul in Selection modedepositing your gift in format Atletico Madrid. With Leandro Paredes adding minutes and with Alexis MacAllister who appears to be the chosen one to replace Gio Lo Celso.
Then, the basics: a team that knows how to be wide to be deep, with Di María in a state of enjoyment open on the right as a winger, without the need to go down to the center and with Acuña open on the left, like another midfielder. Of Egg to the spaghetti (it’s not a joke) the second goal arrived, a change of center in front of Acuña so that Di María defined with absolute quality. State of grace of the now Juventus player.
In that first half, the national team did not struggle to seal the victory and in the second half Scaloni showed what a plan B transformed into A could be. The Five Defenders.
I had already tried it in the last training sessions and previous tours. Gonzalo Montiel inserted on the right side Germano Pezzella Foyth (started from four) and Lisandro Martínez (starter-level substitute) joined the already existing third centre-back and the surprise was Nahuel Molina on the left, as midfielder, something that was tested in open training on Monday and behind closed doors on Tuesday.
To play against Arabia or against rivals with greater offensive weight? To have an oiled alternative. It can be linked to one of Scaloni’s last statements, that of “The World Cup is won by cautious, intelligent teams. Rarely does a team that overwhelms and stays on the opposite field win them, we’ve seen it and we have to adapt, intelligence is part of football”.
The coach wants a flexible team, with a role not necessarily linked to possession. This was demonstrated by France, the last world champion, with low holding percentages but with remarkable effectiveness. Scaloni doesn’t want surprises, and if you need to put together a five-man line with three centre-backs in one game, do it on your resume. He is not always defensive, it depends on the performers.
Molina’s thing sounds strange because he would play with a different profile, with Acuña it seems more logical. But he is one more test bench, for now, in a technical staff not satisfied with the performance achieved, wary of cruising speed.
And it does it very well.
Doha, Qatar. Special delivery.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.