With Monday’s newspaper: What did Argentina do wrong to lose to Saudi Arabia?

It is true that journalists have an advantage: they carry out analyzes with the result in place. The famous Monday newspaper. But there are reasons to understand the hard fall against Saudi Arabia, an enthusiastic and small team. It could be the most stunning defeat in World Cup history. What happened? why the staggered Did he fail to prevail even though after 10 minutes he was already winning 1-0? Can an adverse barrage knock you out of the game? Evil, stumbling; the good thing, there’s still room to catch up.

The doubt will be planted in the next few hours: Did Argentina play with injured players? Did Scaloni put together the starting cast with headdresses? It does not seem a coincidence that the three released at the beginning of the plug-in are three players who arrived at the World Cup between cottons. Cristian Romero and Alejandro Gómez worked a couple of days in different ways and Leandro Paredes has added a few minutes in his last month at Juventus. Cuti was surprisingly slow in the action of the first Arab goal. Papu showed no signs of being unwell, beyond the fact that he didn’t do well. Paredes’ departure can only be understood by some disturbance.

And Messi? It was noted to be uncomfortable at 10 years old. A striking fact: he hasn’t attempted any dribbling in more than 100 minutes of play. A little more: he failed most of the checks. The crack of PSG played with a gear less and the alarms will sound. He touched very few balls and even finished the game without throwing free throws.

Argentina also lacked audacity. The match looked ideal: with an early lead and with a rival defense shrinking high up the field of play. He was filtering a pass in space and hitting definition. He did so on a couple of occasions and the VAR denied the outcry. But the team faded over time. Messi should have retired earlier to be the one sending the passes. De Paul was erratic – he repeated long bowls for Di María – and perhaps should have been replaced by a passer-by like Mac Allister.

Nor have Scaloni’s changes been good, it must be said. It is true that it is difficult to react quickly after a flurry of two goals conceded in a few minutes. But the flow of the match required him to play with two forwards and the introduction of Julián Álvarez was to play in left midfield. Scaloni made name for name and never broke through with the 4-4-2.

The feeling was that he should open the field on the wing for Di María -as he did- and Acuña, put Messi in the center ahead of De Paul and Enzo Fernández -who came on well- and line up Lautaro Martínez with Julián Álvarez, plus a defense with three centre-backs . We didn’t understand Nahuel Molina’s game and we didn’t understand his presence in the final minutes: he had stayed.

And the team had no reaction and that’s from the players. The blows from the Arab doors were too hard. It only turned out to be Di María. Enzo Fernández came on well, making good passes between the lines, getting the ball moving. The rest, little. And worrying.

What Messi asked for so much did not happen: Argentina not only did not start winning, but also lost to Saudi Arabia, theoretically the weakest in the group. Hours of review and analysis will come. Then think positive. He tries not to repeat mistakes and be honest in case there are players touched. And believe. Because the Scaloneta still has what. Or maybe Spain didn’t start losing in South Africa 2010?