Argentina created many chances but were not able to score in a 0-0 draw vs. Paraguay.
Lionel Scaloni’s team had several chances to score in the first half but misses by Joaquin Correa and Angel Di Maria meant that it would end without a goal. Joaquin Correa had an effort on goal which was saved while Angel Di Maria missed from the line off a big scramble inside the penalty area.
A first half which was very physical as the referee kept his cards in his pocket as Paraguay were often fouling. Lionel Scaloni made no changes at half time.
The second half was much of the same as the first with Argentina creating but being unable to score. Marcos Acuña was substituted off due to an injury and it was Nicolas Tagliafico replacing him. Emiliano Martinez made two great saves for Argentina both of them from very close range.
Scaloni made two chances as he brought on Alejandro Papu Gomez for Rodrigo De Paul and Guido Rodriguez for Angel Di Maria. Still unable to score, Nicolas Gonzalez was substituted in for Gio Lo Celso and Julian Alvarez for Joaquin Correa.
Alejandro Papu Gomez had a great effort from outside of the penalty area which was saved as the match ended in a draw.
We should get 3 points… But it’s fine… Correa should have score at least 3 goals… By him self.. scaloni made bad choice of playing him as a striker. Should use him as a winger and play proper striker either alario or Martinez… Depending upon fitness. Dybala too have great finishing skills… Let see
I think using Correa in Striker role is a bad idea. Playing out of position than his natural is bad one. Scaloni must find some other tall physic and technically good player in wings before worldcup.otherwise it will be going to tough against France Spain Italy and Belgium kind of europian teams..
Lautaro, bull that he is, would have found a way to score had he been in that situation instead of Fideo.
the chance in the opening minutes? yup I was thinking that. Lautaro would have dived in cleats up if required.
I feel like ever since that Copa America replica chipped goal for PSG Di Maria’s form has been more average. For whatever reason I forgot about that miss until you just mentioned it. Lautaro definitely would have found a way to score that kind of like the Bolivia goal.
Lautaro was involved in 4 out of 6 goals we scored against Venezuela and Bolivia.
As for Di Maria, its been proven from time to time that he’s only effective against attacking opponent , caused attacking team gives him space to hit on counter or shoots from outside . Its no coincidence that Di Maria scores against teams like Germany, France and Brazil but he struggles againts bunkering teams.
Paraguay was more attacking when the played in Copa but here they clearly aimed for a draw from the opening whistle. It was just foul after foul. They got 5-6 players constantly crammed inside their box
Scaloni’s few preferences and using Nico Gonzalez as a striker, not Alario is baffling. Correa should have had at least 1 goal. Clearly, our fullbacks are also a concern with a lot of backpasses and few good crosses.
ugh this is my worst kind of game. I much preferred the structured middle block set up scaloni showed until the copa win. these 65-70% toothless possession games just don’t cut it anymore in the international level since the 2010s.
much rather take a 0-0 draw playing a compact, reliable game like we used to earlier than a 0-0 playing high block possession games where your entire squad is upfield leaving the back door open for a counter. too many slow build up fancy moves. too many bad memories from post sabella era for that.
Regardless of how good the defenders are, this is a recipe for getting knocked out at a non club level knockout tourney. Hoping this is just his experimental phase and he reverts back to his copa winning formula.
I don’t like Lo Celso playing a weird left midfield role, he should more central.
Yes, Lo Celso should play more in the middle than left side and towards end of the game before Nico Gonzales and Alvarez came in it looked at some point like allmost with Nuno at Spurs as being right sided…?
Really weird thing to see, though the right side today hardly existed, though at some points Molina was actually making good runs, but hardly never got the ball passed to him as Arg moved through few of the Paraguayn players until they fouled Arg down as it was obvious thing to happen so Arg kind of created that problem by themselfs by moving the way too slowly and kind of reckless as it gave oppurtunities for Paraguay to Counter etc…
and specially when De Paul was taken of who with Cuti, Emi and also Otamendi were the best players in my eyes against Paraguay who with all my respect are not that great side as El Mongol said Arg kind of travelld back in time with their ” too many slow build up fancy moves. too many bad memories from post sabella era for that.”
Ok, Arg clearly could have scored easily 3 goals at least or even more, but Still there was clearly something lacking and it did not looked that good, though even Arg had no really problem to break Paraguay’s pressuring up front and moved the ball easily past their players until the box…and there Arg hit the wall, because of as El mongol said : too many slow build up fancy moves. too many bad memories from post sabella era for that.
Yes there was bad luck too and clearly J. Correa not ready to play as no. 9 as his best movements and play with the ball came mostly from the left, but this is not really his fault, though he should have scored, but sometimes also anyone can miss the golden chance as for me he was way better than Di Maria for example who looked like very average and that is why i’m wondering why A.Correa was not even on the bench as specially when Alario did not even came on as sub ?
Hopefully he is fine and not having any fitness issues etc…!
I think he should have played on the right instead of Di Maria, but i dont know why he was not even on the bench ?
Also i wonder if Arg could use Alvarez as no. 9 or is he more like false 9. and better with creating the play than scoring goals ? as i do not know his natural/best suited posession for him on the pitch ?
Well, anyhow Scaloni and the crew has quite lot of thinking before the Uruguay game as their coach is very experienced one !
Nothing personal against Berizzo and his tactics with Paraguay, but i have the feeling that Uruguay with Tabarez could set up bit differently than Berizzo’s Paraguay…
Well, win is kind of needed even a draw would not be a disaster if Arg will win Peru as it will be 5 points in total, but 7 sounds a bit better number and i do not mean that i’m expecting Arg to win by 7 goals, LOL !
Dibu
Molina,Cuti,Licha,Medina
N.Gonzales,Guido,LoCelso,J.Correa
Messi Alrio
Sorry, totally forgot De Paul, LoL!
Dibu
Montiel/Molina Cuti Licha Medina
N.Gonzales De Paul Lo Celso J.Correa
A.Correa Messi
Very good points actually. Who would have thought, the ugly 1-0 games where we defended most of the game during Copa that received so much criticism and anger on this site have proven to be the way we should play in this situations, given the outcome today. Of course some games will call for us to have more possession and try to break the defense but in those instances we also shouldn’t be doing fancy little passes and try to be effective. Sometimes effective looks fancy with some types of players but if fancy can’t be effective don’t be fancy.
@el mongol is right. I love possession football but we can be can get killed by skilled counter-attacking teams like 2018 Croatia, France. Even Nigeria should have knocked us out of the group stage if the ref gave Rojo a red card for the deliberate handball (he then scores goal in stoppage time to take us in the round of 16).
well, disappointing result but not surprising. All recent matches between Argentina and Paraguay have been low scoring. Playing away at Paraguay, with a Brazilian referee, and a Paraguayan team that played very physical and went out to find the draw did not make the result surprising. If Scaloni’s supposed pecking order is true then it seems very odd to me that he would put his pecking order above tactical balance in a game. We technically player with no true number nine while Alario was available on the bench, strange. Pretty boring and uninspiring game, unlike the last games we played. Good news is that Uruguay and Colombia both dropped points, but now Ecuador seems to be the main threat below us. If we can win both next games we will have gotten 7 points which will have us in a great position. On the other hand our unbeaten streak continues is now at 23
Speaking of winning streak, our 15 games streak of scoring first half goal finally come into an end.
Not the best result but far from the worst considering the ref and countless fouls.
Interesting, I did not know we had a streak like that of scoring first half goals but it makes sense.
This game was screaming for Alario to come on, not sure why he did not.
I am old school, need to have a real number 9 and a real DM in a team. And by real number 9 I don’t mean a poacher, but someone who can score on a regular basis. We missed Lautaro today.
Lautaro has been starting all the time in all recent games, his understanding with Messi and Lo Celso proof to be the biggest difference in our final third.
We looked dispointed in final third today. Emi and Cuti were our best players today. They looked solid throughout.
Needs a proper “9” and less cute passing inside opponent box. Tucu wasnt clinical enough, he’s another version of Nico. A player who always better as a sub against tired legs.
Off course the Varzil ref will not book them despite 300 fouls.
Just walking.. Playing for draw.. Bulshit
Comments are closed.