Messi rejoices with his teammates in one of the last friendlies played by Argentina. Photo: EFE / Villar Lopez.
The Argentine national team faces the final stretch. A little over two months before the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Lionel Scaloni has announced the list ahead of the last friendly tour before the big appointment in November. This is the call that precedes the definitive call to go to Doha, in which the albiceleste DT will draw the final conclusions to finish defining everything. There are conspicuous absences and new faces.
Argentina will play on Friday 23 against Honduras in Miami and on Thursday 27 against Jamaica in New Jersey. For these preparatory commitments, in which Lionel Messi will be present, the coach born in Pujato has called 28 players, or has cut four from the 34 pre-list that he had announced in early September.
Those who are left out this time are Juan Musso, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Exequiel Palacios and Nicolás González. Why did you prefer not to have them? For the cases of Palacios and González, the answer is physical. Both are “touched” and do not reach one hundred percent.
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder has a hamstring injury that prevented him from playing in the Champions League. The former River still wanted to be there because he doesn’t have a guaranteed World Cup ticket and other midfielders are bidding on him for a seat. Meanwhile, the left-handed Fiorentina has injured his foot and is not even ready to play.
He is different from Musso, the former Racing goalkeeper, today at Atalanta. The one born in San Nicolás was recently a father, a situation that may explain his lack of vocation. However, Gerónimo Rulli’s presence at Villarreal may have given him a slight edge in that dispute for a spot where established Emiliano Martínez and Franco Armani are already a fixture.
The Martínez Quarta thing appears to be a more footballing decision in Scaloni’s preference as variants such as Nehuén Pérez and Facundo Medina appear instead. In case of transport of nine defenders, as expected, there are eight who have their strongest place and it remains to be defined who will be the ninth: Juan Foyth, one who has a point in the head, does not appear on the list because he suffers from an injury and it will be necessary to see if this takes away points in the final race.
Among the new faces are Thiago Almada (Sevilla) and Enzo Fernández (Benfica). Curious, given that neither of them had participated in the coach’s phone calls, which seems to have resolved a large part of his elections. But they still have unfinished boxes and he tries to clear up all doubts before deciding.
It is estimated that Scaloni will choose 3 goalkeepers, 9 defenders, 7 midfielders and 7 forwards to go to Qatar, in an announcement that will take place in November, although first (in mid-October) he could deliver a larger preliminary list and then make the corresponding cut. .
Argentina national team: when playing against Honduras and Jamaica
The team led by Lionel Scaloni and captained by Lionel Messi will play two international friendlies next week on the last tour before the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Both will be Concacaf’s rivals. The first will be Honduras, on Friday 23 September at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The second will be against Jamaica on Tuesday 27th at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.
The team will start training in the United States starting next Monday and will try at the Inter Miami facilities.
Nahuel Lanzillotta
Source: Clarin
