Argentina’s World Cup fortunes have been dramatically resurrected as it overcame the blip against Saudi Arabia to brush aside the Mexican and Polish challenges. With a round-of-16 match against Australia on Saturday looming, Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni wasn’t too happy about playing a second match in 48 hours given the emotional passage through a tough group.
“I think it’s crazy we are playing in just over two days as winners of this group. It’s 1 a.m. [Thursday] and tomorrow [Friday] we have to prepare. The conditions are not great, but we all have to play it,” said Scaloni, expressing his displeasure about the schedule moments after the Poland game.
The Aussies, too, were complaining but manager Graham Arnold was confident of doing better than the golden generation (2006) which lost in the pre-quarterfinal to eventual champion Italy. “Of course, we are going to win against Argentina. I coached the Olympics team last year and we beat Argentina 2-0. It’s a yellow shirt against blue and white, it’s 11 vs 11 and not Messi against Australia,” Arnold said.
But the job will be easier said than done. Lionel Messi and his men have played as one, an electrifying bolt of blue that gave Mexico and Poland no chance. For Saturday’s fixture, however, Angel di Maria is doubtful after suffering a muscle overload on his left foot. “After training we will decide on the team depending on the fitness of Angel and other players. If he’s okay, he will play,” revealed Scaloni at the pre-match press conference.
But Scaloni has a plethora of capable players who have emerged from the depths of his squad. Forward Paolo Dybala, quite accomplished in his role on the left, is yet to be unleashed.
Messi remains the heartbeat, the opposition players often awed by the aura that he brings to the pitch. A tad slower than when he was 25, the Argentine has shown that football is not just about work-rate and industry, but also about how a player can influence command over the ball.
He has fans even in the Australian team — Columbus Crew defender Milos Degenek has admitted to being one — but can the Socceroos outshine the Argentine star?
“We have watched many videos of Australia and it will be a game similar to Poland... we will have the ball, but they will have fast players from the flanks and it will be difficult for the midfielders and defenders,” Rodrigo De Paul told the media.
On the eve of the match at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, coach Scaloni said: “Gracias, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the countries that support us.” Argentina and millions of its fans the world over will hope the team from Down Under doesn’t end magician Messi’s show.
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