Falcioni council: Scaloni made good decisions against Mexico and one was the entry of Enzo Fernández

The version we all expected Argentina and you have to celebrate the victory against Mexico, a tough rival with a smart coach like Tatta Martino. It’s true that the team didn’t flow in the first half, but the improvement in the second half was important. The usury of the rival and the good exchanges of staircases They can be the keys to victory.

A lot of effort has been made. We said it in this column: Mexico would probably stop with a line of 5 defenders. With this he managed to reduce the spaces, press in midfield so as not to let the midfielders play. Thus, Martino caused the procedure get tangled and there the position of the Mexicans prevailed. But there were answers.

I noticed Messi with more mobility than in the match against Saudi Arabia. This time Leo went back a few meters to start playing from midfield, especially in the complementary. It is true that the Mexicans got tired and they approached goalkeeper Ochoa.

We must focus on the income of Enzo Fernández. The game he played was interesting Guido Rodríguez, placing himself between the central defenders and prevailing in the passing game. But Fernández is a midfielder with more vertical and deep passing than Guido, who usually plays short and horizontal. That filtered and fast pass from Fernández improved the team. He found Messi and Di María more easily, who already had a few more seconds to think. There was Argentina’s improvement in the second half: began to control the game.

The duel opened with a genius of Messi, but the team was working on making the genie appear. The middle distance was the one that unlocked the process. Messi is a footballer who cannot be given an inch too much: he controlled perfectly and defined the only place that Ochoa could not reach.

Scaloni had to make many decisions during the match and did very well. Fernández’s vital income has already been discussed. So it should be noted that it didn’t take long to put it nice Romero Enter otamendi Y Lica Martinez, what Guido Rodríguez had done well. The performance of the defense was correct: it never surprised and was impeccable in the game of passes. Mexico relaunched a duel of cumshots with Lozano and Vega, but could never oppose.

Another positive from Argentina has been the pressure on Ochoa. Mexico could never come out clear with goalkeeper and was repeated in long mouthfuls, those who have almost always exonerated the defenders. Martínez and Di María struggled a lot and that’s why they went out in the second half. Julián Álvarez contributed his legs to smother the starts and move to the back row.

Already towards the end the genius of Enzo Fernández appeared. Another solo appearance. It is true that Argentina did not generate many scoring situations nor did they get deep down the flanks. But he achieved a great triumph. Besides being very necessary.

By Julio César Falcioni, special for Clarín