Argentina lose to Bolivia without Lionel MESSI

By
Roy Nemer
-
35
Lucas Pratto Argentina Bolivia
Lucas Pratto Argentina Bolivia

Argentina’s abysmal record in these World Cup Qualifiers without Lionel MESSI continues following their 2-0 loss to Bolivia.

Will MESSI play, will MESSI not play, that was the question which was being asked since Monday evening when news broke out that Lionel MESSI could be suspended due to a verbal confrontation he had with a Chilean referee. Ultimately, Argentina’s captain received a four match ban and served match number one of his suspension as he watched Argentina lose 2-0 against Bolivia. The decision to suspend MESSI was taken with less than seven hours until kick-off which meant Argentina National Team coach Edgardo BAUZA had to make a last second change to his starting line-up. It was a different eleven which started for Argentina from their match against Chile, one which saw Angel CORREA come in for Lionel MESSI and play behind Lucas PRATTO.

With the score at 0-0, Angel CORREA sent Angel DI MARIA one on one with the goalkeeper but his chip was saved and that was a crucial one for the Bolivians. It proved to be a turning point in the match as minutes later, a ball was sent into Sergio ROMERO’s area and Facundo RONCAGLIA lost his aerial battle as Bolivia scored and took a 1-0 lead. Still in the first half, Ramiro FUNES MORI was substituted off on a stretcher as he was seen holding his knee and was replaced by Matias CARUZZO who came in for the remainder of the match.

With and without MESSI:

In these World Cup Qualifiers, Argentina’s record without Lionel MESSI is, well, atrocious. Even more when compared with their record with him on the pitch.
With MESSI: 5 wins in 6 matches
Without MESSI: 1 win in 8 matches

The second half was more of the same with chances falling to Lucas PRATTO but he was unable to convert. In the second half, Bolivia added the second following some horrendous marking and that was it for Argentina.

Suspension:

Ever BANEGA, who captained the side, picked up a yellow card and will not be available for Argentina’s World Cup Qualifying match against Uruguay in August.

Match Highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLrjuh74Ri8

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

35 Comments

  2. We all pin our hopes on AFA’s new bride – Tapia …. hehehe… its read that he is one of biggest criminals on the run in Argentina with many court cases against him for fraud and scams. Now hes got a new ‘breeding ground’ – football … hehehe
    .
    Tinelli is not good too as thought… where do we run now? Where?
    .
    Maradona wants Tinelli to go…
    .
    Tinelli does not want to fire Bauza…
    .
    Many in Argentina think Grondona is better than all, considering the current circumstances … ‘how a devil becomes an angel and is immortalised’… funny ain
    .
    What next?
    .
    We thought Bauza will go… but he says… we are going to fight?… hmmm
    .
    Never expected Argentina go from worst to hell itself… next lake of fire. This is called curse.

  3. Bauza Stat for Argentina :

    M: 8
    W: 3
    D: 2
    L: 3
    GF: 9
    GA: 10
    W%: 37.50

    Still AFA thinks he is deserving Coach without Strategy and tactics. he does not have any attacking scene, under his coaching Argentina is in uncomfortable condition.
    Out of that 3 win one will be consider as good match i.e. against Colombia.

    Worst coach I ever seen for Argentina .

  4. Although there were several new players yesterday, it was the same old story again. Argentina is no team, there is no cohesion between defence, midfield and attack, there is no strategy, no game plan, tactics etc. We rely on individual flashes of brilliance and without our main star we are very, very average (one win in 8 matches without Messi says it all). Now Peru has beaten Uruguay, the latter must win in Montevideo. Bad news for us.
    Like many here stated before a huge clean up is necessary, within AFA ranks but also in the team selection and in the way Argentina develops youth players. Our current youth teams are nowhere near as good as 10-20 years ago, therefore we should turn to players who perform well at their clubs and forget about the old guard. Vazquez is doing okay at Sevilla, Icardi is scoring a lot at Inter, Gomez is pretty consistent at Atalanta, Rulli or Caballero between the posts etc.
    The displays against Chile and Bolivia will have the alarm bells ringing in Buenos Aires. Let’s hope the new AFA president has the balls to take decisions. If not and Bauza remains in his seat we will miss WC 2018.

  5. I saw Pizzaro..He was composed and had some bright moments with the ball. We really need someone like him.

    Acuna was really good. He was cutting inside from the flank with ease, always creating some danger for Bolivia. Bolivia was a crappy team, lot of miss passes and bad control from them. But we did not have a strategy or most effcient XI.

    For example Aguero has been completely useless, Roncaglia is responsible for two goals.

  6. holy shit! what can one say about this match?! i already wrote something which i deleted because i managed to control my temper! it is unbelievable what the team showed last night….the players have so Little quality none of them should be in the team! pizarro, correa, funes, roncaglia, di maria, rojo, musacchio…i am shaking my head what they delivered. u can see from the first touch of the ball that they know that they are going to lose the match without messi. this team is a pile of shit without messi. but the worst thing is….THERE IS NO QUALITY COMING FROM THE YOUTH RANKS! ZERO! plz stop dreaming and talking about the likes of de paul, lo celso, correa, kranevitter and what so ever. these guys will not make it. they have zero impact on their teams in europe. zero. they r hardly playing. some not even making the bench on a regular basis. we r not the dominat youth side anymore and this will show year after year after year in the seniors team. when we won so many youth world cups in the 2000s it was clear a very very dominant argentina team would come and that they will get a shot at the title. but this time is over. forget the youngsters. forget lanzini, lamela, pastore, viatti or ocampos. they dont have the character. they dont have the will. just like all the other young guys. they already have what they dreamed of. they r tattoed from head to toe. they drive a 250000 $ ferrari. they get all the Girls they want. thats it for them. they r in the gym not to get better on the pitch but to look better in the summer when they go to Ibiza to party with their friends. thats it. thats the truth. i dont see character on the horizon for this team. no leaders. no foghters. no guys giving everything on the pitch. blood, sweat and tears. the times r over when we produced players like chamot, simeone, ayala, luque, sorin, pasarella, etc. etc. etc. etc….guys playing with their hearts in their Hands giving everything. this time is over. they dont dream about lifting this cup. they dream about finding themself in the new fifa-game or as posterboy sponsored by jean Paul Gaultier. and that shows on the pitch. look at these morons. getting a haircut every two days. getting tattoed all over. buying new clothes every afternoon after 1 and a half hours of training. pathetic. and most of all…..forget about a good coach coming. forget about sampaoli. forget about simeone. at least for the next 5 to 10 years. they wont come. they got better to do. forget about pochetino. we will get another loser-coach. something like gallardo. god have mercy with us all. this national team is dead inside. i am so feed up i would love to punch every single guy at AFA in the face. missing out on the world cup is the worst Thing i can imagine. i am sry this is no offence to you fellow die hard supporters but i am so fed up with this team. since 2006 we r in decline and fading away and noone is willing to stop it.

  7. Bauza Does not have any Strategy ,What kind of coach he is ? it seems Argentina Playing like a 2nd division team scared from Bolivia , Did not see any proper attacking move , They does not have Messi but what about other 22 players!!
    The coach said they don’t have dependency on Messi but their body language was saying different.

    The no 9 was horrible in this match playing like a defender… if he is 2nd choice for Bauza before Icardi, then I am scared about future (WC 2018).

    They need player like Pastore,Lanzini,PAREDES in this squad , so that they can go for plan B and shows some attacking move with 4-3-3.

    Positive things are:
    I saw is Di Maria , He fought alone against Bolivia. Banega and Musacchio had a decent game.did not see much from Pizzaro but this was his first game so it seems ok from him .

    But My serious concern is how this team will perform against top team(Europe) with this Coach Bauza. AFA should think about Replacement of Coach. its not the problem of players the problem with proper Strategy and absent of plan B.

    I want to see some good Attacking move, want to see some goals from this team like they scored earlier.

  8. For now the whole world knows that Argentina can’t even play decent football without the international flop Messi! Yeah, At least that’s positive side!!

  11. Any news on the possibility of FUCKING Chile losing the two points from the Bolivia game??

    I Hope that country breaks off the continent and sink into the Pacific Ocean, what goes around will come around…..just wait.

      • JUNE!!!! Great.

        Common sense dictates that Messi’s suspension will be reduced to no more than 2 games, having already served one plus the fine to be paid, But then again this whole joke of a decision that came on so quickly considering that nobody said or heard anything is comical.

        They say, ‘what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger’. Have faith and never lose hope, NEVER.

  13. its seems really fu..d up

    “Lionel Messi banned for four matches even though officials did not hear insult
    A letter written from Fifa to the Argentinian Football Association appears to confirm that none of the four match officials heard the insult which has resulted in a four match ban for Messi”

    “I did not hear any offensive language from Messi or anyone else towards myself, besides the normal players’ complaints (specially raising their hands) during the match,” the document quotes Ricci as saying.

    “If I had heard any offensive word, I would have acted in according the rules of the game.”

    The document also includes statements made by Carvalho’s linesman as well as the fourth official, who also deny hearing the offensive words used by Messi”

    • Messi should know better and not give ammunition to his enemies. They are there to get him and destroy his lagecy but as the creator said who ever sets unjust trap they them selves will fall into it. the bald guy in fifa shares agent with some madrid players and even maradona(cockroach) has same agent.

  16. Bauza should be fired otherwise Argentine won’t be qualified .then the coach should act like Tite with Brazil .it’s time to change the middle player like : masherano,biglia,di Maria and never call aguero ,lavezzi .there are young player that need to start for a new generation.This team don’t deserve any fans of this world ,you are not what you were since last decades .in my country Haiti talk about Argentine players is ashamed .only messi is decided to play finally messi wished to be born in Brazil or Spain .sincerely he will be world cup champion .never he can Be with these losers.

    • “Bauza should be fired otherwise Argentine won’t be qualified ”
      -how he become coach with out any attacking strategy. it is bit late AFA should do this few games before, please replace Bauza.
      I thought about his last post match comments , what he will say after this match ?

  17. Player Ratings:

    Romero – partially at fault for the first goal due to his positioning, was a step or two off his line. For the second goal perhaps could have done better too.

    Roncaglia – lost the aerial duel for the first goal. Considering that his usual playing position is in the centre of defence he should have done better. I’ve never been a fan of Roncaglia, I don’t know what he brings that somebody like Peruzzi for example, does not possess.

    Musacchio – nervous and shaky, I expected much more of him.

    Funes Mori – before he succumbed to his injury he nearly cost us a goal, forgettable performance.

    Rojo – Bolivia attacked down his flank more often probably sensing he was a weak link. Defensively he was better than most other defenders but contributed next to nothing in attacking third. His ball control and crossing were off yet again.

    Enzo Perez – did not have a good game, he looked tired throughout.

    Pizarro – one of the few bright spots today, we could really use a #5 like him. Elegant on the ball.

    Banega – controlled the tempo of the game well an had a decent game overall.

    Di Maria – his old usual frustrating self. Our most dangerous player but the finishing product was atrocious.

    Correa – his through pass for Di Maria was his best contribution. The kid is talented but needs more opportunities.

    Pratto – Worked hard as usual but he played more like Higuian today in terms of converting the chances. Should have scored at least once.

    Caruzzo – looked nervous and did not inspire confidence. Surely we have better options: Garay, Pezzella, Fazio.

    Acuña – looked lively and capable of creating something after coming on. Perhaps should have been introduced earlier instead of Kun.

    Aguero – offered literally nothing. Same old story.

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