Beating the United Arab Emirates 5-0: a friendly that was perfect for the Argentine national team, because he erased with a slap the fear of an awkward appointment right in the anteroom of the World Cup Qatar 2022, with a squad that came with some physical loads as a result of the European competition.
Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, fed on all the good feelings. The gestures of the footballers, the looks towards the bench of the substitutes in the positive actions, as well as in the negative ones, allowed us to understand that the commitment with the United Arab Emirates was much more than a simple game for a mountain of dollars.
Until the position of Lionel Messi, that upset by a blow that Harib Abdalla Suhail gave him and that the Rosario responded with ‘the turn’ three actions later, it was a sign that everything is flowing as the national team wishes. Argentina Here he came looking for mental and physical answers and found everything he wanted: good connection, offered a show, paid for each ticket with five goals and showed no signs of wear and tear that worried the coaching staff.
Lionel Scaloni and a statement that aroused some concern
In any case, a phrase from Scaloni after the game generated a cloud: “We have some little problems, we have days to define the list. It is evident that there are several players who are not well because they are not fit to play or there is some risk; So, I can’t guarantee that these players are fine, ”he commented, seriously, in the mixed zone.
A while before the rout had been consummated. It was assumed that there were no equivalences with the rival, but it was possible to see in how the team expressed themselves on the field of play, that they were sure of what they needed to do with this game. Dosing energy, testing some tactical moves, filming footballers like Marcos Acuña and Juan Foyth, measuring how Alexis Mac Allister can cover the position that was left vacant after Giovani Lo Celso’s injury and how Julián Álvarez can offer offensive variants. He even offered great goals, like the two from Ángel Di María and a cross bomb from Messi.
The Scaloni laboratory was in full swing. In some of the actions of the United Arab Emirates, when Harib Abdalla Suhail, one of the team’s stars, appeared, he showed insecurities for the right-back that Foyth covered. The Argentine coach listened to the requests of each of his footballers and that is why when everyone thought the game was over for Messi, what he offered was the opposite: a full performance, he played the 90 minutes.
And in this context it was not strange that the DT allowed himself to modify the entire defensive block. He went from four in the background to playing with five, with other interpreters, a move on the board that served to give rest to some. But not only did his attempt to give the team a different physiognomy attract attention, but the requests of Messi and De Paul for not resting were met, and they were able to add minutes to gain rhythm and confidence ahead of the World Cup debut in Doha.
There was also some shock that took your breath away: near the end of the first half, a cross between Messi and defender Alhasan Saleh left the Rosario player on the floor, grabbing his left foot. He got up fast.
It was a perfect excursion, in which Argentina gave itself all the luxuries, if even Messi allowed himself to greet the public in the middle of the game, when the game was stopped due to a foul in favor of the United Arab Emirates.
Argentina and Scaloni scared, the pressure was removed and they paved the way for Qatar’s debut in the World Cup, the only obsession that everyone on the squad has.
Diego Morini
Special envoy of La Nación (Argentina-GDA)
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