De Paul’s relief: “We invite the few who have forgotten three and a half years for half an hour to get on the ship again”

The final whistle from the Italian referee Daniele Orsato exploded in the packed Lusail Stadium and a blue and black and white volley invaded the playing field. Rodrigo De Paul was one of the players who most demonstrated this immediate relief who tried out the entire national team when the 2-0 win against Mexico took place on Saturday night in Qatar. He knelt down and covered his face with his shirt. And there he stayed for a while until he joined in the greeting of his companions.

“Now we can start enjoying a World Cup because we haven’t done it in the last few days. We were spinning our heads, trying to lift each other up. We did it, it wasn’t easy,” he said later, as he crossed the zone mixed, already calmer and with stabilized heartbeats after so much tension.

Do you know this steering wheel, which has become a vital piece of the staggered, which until now could not fully perform in the field. Like the whole team, he didn’t have a good showing in his debut with a defeat against Saudi Arabia. And it was seen very erratic in the first part against the Mexicans.

“I felt good. You can always improve and I hope this Cup continues to raise my level and lead me to do more. Competing with the best makes you better. I feel empowered. In the first half we could have run with the ball, in particular “In the second half we had the patience that Leo and the coach highlighted a lot and we were taking them to their area. The goal was coming,” he explained about how he scored with the ball.

serene and thoughtfulbut even with a direct message for the most critical, De Paul stopped the ball forward and back with clarion before getting on the bus to return to concentration.

-It was a relief compared to what?

-It was a relief. Those three days were a bit tough for us because of that blow we had, but now the team has done very well.

-When the match was over you knelt down and covered your face with your shirt, what were you thinking about?

The group makes me very proud. I am pleased to belong to this team of players. We have seen that we are not eleven but 26 because those who have entered have also done very well. We tried to give the message that we are all together, which is what we want to win in this cup. Most of the people were with us. To the few who for half an hour have forgotten the three and a half years in which we have made them enjoy, we invite them to get on the boat again, we will not leave them on land.

-The game was complicated. When Messi’s goal arrived, what was your first sensation?

-For what we have done in these three and a half years we have earned the respect that other teams play us differently. We have seen a lot of Mexico, a team that with Tata has the priority of always having the ball, arriving with many people in the area, high backs. This time it was the other way around. It was a bit surprising that Mexico didn’t attack us so much. It was close enough, but we held it and were patient. And we know that we have Leo that when he has to appear, he appears.

Argentina’s 7 bravo has yet to catch on in Qatar. However, he has a lot of character and heart to push the team in the hottest moments. Playing well or badly is a virtue that never disappears in the Atlético de Madrid midfielder, who has dedicated a few words to the tireless encouragement of the Argentines who are on Arab soil and the millions who are resisting from South America.

“The fans are very enthusiastic and supportive and feel very identified with us. The day we have to leave, we want the fans to say ‘they gave everything they had. This must prevail. We will empty ourselves to get as high as possible, as much as possible,” he said.

And he warned: “May the people continue to have faith. Four years ago we showed that we are capable of wearing this shirt, we will give it our all.”

The support of Sebastián Verón

Rodrigo De Paul was conspicuously inaccurate in these first two games for Argentina in Qatar 2022. He didn’t seem to be feeling entirely at ease and had a hard time catching on. He missed short passes and didn’t find lucidity at the moment of distribution. He nor he stomped the area decisively. And this has begun to cost him some criticism, especially on social media. With sheer attitude, he took it up in the second half this Saturday and was able to demonstrate some of all the good he’s done this cycle for periods of time.

And, in addition to the support of his girlfriend, Tini Stoessel, who was in the stands watching the game and celebrating the victory, the midfielder had the support of Sebastián Verón’s crowd.

“I’ve seen it before, you kept trying”, wrote the former national team on his Instagram who at the time was also the target of harsh criticism in a World Cup. The little witch completed: “The idiots will keep trying to fall and blame you for a result … Come on, don’t relax, you’ve got a lot of kick to give.”

Lusail, Qatar. Special delivery.