Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni comments on 0-0 draw

By
Roy Nemer
-
16

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni commented on the team’s 0-0 draw.

Lionel Scaloni saw his team control the match, create chances but unable to score. It was a 0-0 draw vs. Paraguay away with the next two matches at home. Speaking at a press conference after the match, here is what he had to say:

“The first half was almost all us, the second was more equal but we were superior and dominated the match. The qualifiers are difficult and they (the players) realized the difficulty of coming to play Paraguay and the different places. I think the feeling is good and that makes us calm. We missed scoring the goal, especially in the plays where it was very clear. The important thing is the team never gave up always kept trying.

“A very difficult opponent, they changed their way of playing for our way of attacking. The opponents play differently, they want to win against Argentina and you have to get used to that continuing to happen.

“We looked with a lot of passes, we created a lot of chances. Then we went with more speed because the game was very open. In football, sometimes you are superior but the result doesn’t go in your favor.

“We knew how Paraguay would play, always pressuring. I think the team was able to get through that pressure and create clear goal scoring chances. Paraguay is uncomfortable for everyone, not just Argentina. We knew they were going to be a difficult rival. We have to play in two days and it’s important that all the players are fresh and that everyone who enters can contribute.”

Scaloni spoke about Marcos Acuña getting substituted off:

“Let’s hope that Acuña’s situation is nothing. He had a knock and we preferred not to risk it. We have to manage their minutes.”

In regards to selecting Nahuel Molina ahead of Gonzalo Montiel:

“I have been saying it often. Nahuel gives us depth, speed. Gonzalo is fine but we preferred for him to rest this match. We have to keep him fresh.

“Here, we have to have everyone well. It’s very difficult coming to play these matches. In two days, we have another match. We fully trust him. We hope Gonzalo can play the next match.”

Regarding Joaquin Correa and Lautaro Martinez:

“The team had goal scoring chances. They couldn’t score. Lautaro has always been our striker. Joaquin’s match made me happy. He played a good match, he had chances, created a lot of danger. He was missing that goal but it makes us happy that he played like this.”

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

16 Comments

  2. Guys calm down. I remember beating ecaudor last game during WC2018 qualifier and we gave hell of match to France, eventual winner. Remember we need this kind of match to keep our ego down. I am sure Brazil will choke again in World Cup.

  3. Brazil showed today who is the real boss in Conmebol. Down by a goal till 70th min and then pulling off a 3-1. Looking back, Copa final seems like a fluke now.

      • Ur comment look likes always funny man…u want a result always in ur favore why man??? Today our team hit 14 shot where 8 was in target….and it is true paraguyan keeper was fabulous today…we r just cant win because of his performance….keep respect on him and our team also…

    • Lol ur funny. If Brazil think that copa match is like a fluke, Brazil would not do anything possible to cancel the match last month. They think it is a fluke right? Then play with us.

    • Lol…..brazil down 1-0 till 70 min after that they are win against position based bottom team…and u say copa final was a luck????
      R u actually fan of Argentina or Brazil??

      • Some people are always negative. Can’t help them
        If indeed they are brazil fans roaming around here, let them have slight relief in their ass.

        • U guys comparing Brazil vs Venezuela with Paraguay vs Argentina???. In football the only way you can compare 2 teams is by comparing head to head. And ATM Argentina holds the upper hand. Brazil’s only 2 defeats came in the hand of Argentina in the current run. Every team play different according to the opponent. So I guess you guys need to learn more football.

  4. If you can’t beat Paraguay with a number 9 from the bench, forget about the WC. PERIOD. It was getting quite clear that Correa was not fitting in by the end of the first half. Why didn’t Scaloni replace him with Nico? This was also the first time Messi had a poor finish to 90% of his moves in a match. He was slow, he lost balls easily and he misspassed on several occasions. Uruguay must be licking their lips to savour blood on Sunday.

  6. Today’s match has exposed our major weakness and that is beside Lautaro we don’t have a proper no-9. Alario and Correa are third choice strikers in their respective clubs and they clearly can’t score regularly like proper strikers. 35 yrs old, Dzeko has already got himself promoted to no2 in Inter demoting Correa to no-3 in pecking order. If Messi has a poor game like today then we really don’t have anyone who could sneak in a goal. Ageuro is almost finished , Dybala is not a number 9 and management clearly don’t want Icardi in the team and risk disrupting the harmony. We literally don’t have a proper backup for Lautaro which is a major concern for a nation aiming to win the world cup!!

    • Tucu isnt goal poacher, he dropped deep all the time ,roaming in left wing position like everytime Tevez played with Messi. The one time he received the ball in the center, he passed it to Di Maria for nothing. We know Icardi would have stabbed that one in easily.

      When Lautaro scores against Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, when he assisted Messi against Bolivia, its because he always made a run to the center of the box. Thus Messi & Lo Celso had a short passing option aswell.

      Today whenever Messi, Lo Celso got into final third, they’re just stucked there.

      • Eye-opener for scaloni to stop with his preference players, otherwise, it will a big problem for us. at least alario should have come as a sub. Nico as a striker is not at all a good idea.

Comments are closed.