Argentina starting XI vs. Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Ángel Di María

By
Roy Nemer
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378

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni has named his starting eleven for the game vs. Saudi Arabia.

Lionel Scaloni has went with a front three of Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Ángel Di María in the opening group stage game for Argentina at the 2022 World Cup. Emiliano Dibu Martínez starts with Nicolás Tagliafico starting in place of Marcos Acuña.

Nahuel Molina is in place of Gonzalo Montiel and Juan Foyth with Cristian Romero and Nicolás Otamendi completing the back line. Alejandro Papu Gómez starts in midfield with Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo De Paul. Here is the starting eleven:

Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico; Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Alejandro Papu Gómez; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez and Ángel Di María.

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378 Comments

  1. The emperor is naked. Herve Renerd undressed Scaloni tactically. At worst we could’ve settled for a 1-0 win and managed the game, Sabella style. The team has enough attacking talent, they’re bound to create chances, it’s the defense and mid that needs fixing if we’re to go far.

  2. At this stage just hope that we some how make it out of the group stage to second round, we will worry about our Second round opponents later. First we have to qualify somehow. No matter who we start which player starts doesn’t matter, The group stage exit is too painful to bear. Forget about the loss, It happens this is a Sport after all someone has to win or loss.

    But how are we gonna beat Mexico and more over Poland who are better than Saudi i guess. No idea. Only good thing is we have some days till we play next match, For gods sake i hope Scaloni starts fully fit players,

    • Honestly don’t really know what to say as i was not able the match at all, because instead had to bring her hospital, well she is fine now, but don’t if i was lucky as unlucky i’m watching now as what i saw so far is that first chance for Messi to score after few minutes and then a penalty given and Keo scored comfortably and Ok Yes credit Saudi’s and their high line and playing their offside trap succesfully as the first one from Messi clearly and offside, but the first one from Lautaro did not looked offside to me as also commentators where very surprised by that decission, but alao i not see Arg complaining too much about it, though Still it not looked like offside as the ones after in the first half clearly were and also i have not seen any image’s from drawn by VAR or whatever technology they are using and that is very intresting to mee as normally with VAR i’m used to at least see clear images and replays, but nothing so far also even Saudi’s playing decentky until now as i’m over the 40 min to first half Still, Ok Saudi’s have managed to husttle and force Arg to play long ball
      , which obviously is not ideal for Arg, because of Saudi’s pressing high up and so far Arg has been offsidetrapped by Saudi’s as 7 times, but Still even many whistles, and many free kicks and very broken game by those whistless, Still i can’t belive that how they lost this in the end as first half allmost over finnished and Ok Saudi’s been hustling and pressing hard, but not really any real threat’s so far…?

  3. 100 percent Scaloni is responsible for the loss. Of course players failed their part but the main culprit is Scaloni.

    1. In first half we had possession but no penetration. Saudi midfield is crowded and Messi being in the middle completely isolated. But still the end of the game Scaloni never reacted to that precisely.

    2. We should have moved Messi to right in Maria’s position and move Maria to Papu’s position subbing Papu. At least Messi might pulled the Saudi midfield crowd to the flank.

    3. Dybala should be introduced for long range shooting in place of Lautaro as Dybala can pull at least few players.

    Papu Tagliafico Paredes De Paul below average today. Still we got time to recover. But sorry for harsh language..Emi Martinez.. you should stop your fucking gestures..mocking the Mexican team after they landed in our group.. Mexico will not forget that and try their best with extra motivation..

    Nothing to say.. days and nights goes.. but upto next match very slowly and very sadly.. sorry for being negative.. hope for the best..

  4. Now the road is much harder. Next game is a must win against Mexico and all the pressure in the world. This is a problem that plagues Argentina for over 20 years. They lack mental toughness. Also, one of the first things Scaloni did was to be successful was to have everybody run for 90 minutes. He even said everyone needs to run but Messi. Today, nobody was running, tracking back, fighting for possession until late second half. The midfield is not old, it’s just that Paredes doesn’t run as much anymore, Papu is not the answer, neither is MacAllister. LoCelso would not have made a difference today either. They need to play Enzo, they need to play Acuna and they need to have Messi fall back more to add creativity to the midfield. If they don’t win the next game, the World Cup is over for us. And despite winning the Copa, or a new contract, Scaloni would be out. You cannot have such an embarrassment and survive especially if you lose against Mexico.

  5. Mexico and Poland are both fairly strong teams, and even a draw against any of them will put us in a severely tight spot.

    I am still optimistic, but this looks really difficult. We need some luck.

  6. True strength of character is upon us. Greatness is not about avoiding defeat but overcoming it.

    This kick in the nuts is what we need to start playing. Let’s come out swinging in the remaining matches!

    Vamos Albiceleste.

  7. Csabalala…
    Learn to give credit where it is due. SA played really well according to their strength and we flopped at the wrong time. There’s no shame to admit it. I’m from South Asia and I saw you along with some other idiots making offending comments about Asians and Arab countries in the last couple of days. I don’t know, which country you are from. You really don’t have any right to insult other countries, whether it’s from footballing or any other perspective. Argentina players are naturally superior to Asian players, that’s a given. But you don’t get to boast about it because you don’t fu**ing play the game. Also, you can’t insult another country because one doesn’t choose his country at birth. FYI, there are more Argentine supporters in my country (Bangladesh) than in Argentina itself. Go check it on the internet.

    For now, since you don’t have any courage to accept the defeat, s**k your own d**k. Oh, I think, you don’t have one.

  8. It seems our dreams are shattered once again. Playing Di Maria and not playing a pressing footballer like Alvarez from the beginning proved costly. Saudi Arabia’s tactics worked. But if a team like Argentina cannot beat such an obsolete and bad tactics of trapping opponents in offside net, then they don’t deserve to win. Period. This tactics has been done to death and all coaches have a strategy to beat it. But Scaloni seemed not to have any clue. What lacked was a forward with the pace of MBappe, who can start couple of meters behind the offside line and beat the defenders in pace. Alvarez is closest to MBappe or Haalande in terms of speed and you don’t bring him immediately after half time. Saudi coach beat Scaloni by tactics. So Messi now gets ready to retire without the cup. And we would again gather in this forum from the next qualification round with a whole bunch of new players and with the same old dream which remains unfulfilled since 86.

    • Not sure why fault is always directed at Di Maria. The guy literally gives his heart every time. In this whole game the ONLY player actually making runs and a smushing forward was Di Maria. Even Messi was stuck and struggled to put in a shot.

      I agree with the rest but seriously, you aren’t suggesting the right subs.

  9. Parades and DePaul were not at their best. The reason Scaloni went with experience is because that is one thing Saudis don’t have. But we were unable to use that to our advantage. BRILLIANT tactics and superior ball movement from Saudis.

    We couldn’t even master ball control and always put our body between the ball and a Saudi. Poor passing and lack of off the ball movement. Poland and Mexico will play more positional football and open up.. but I think Saudis might have created a blueprint for traditionally weaker teams to play stronger and (older) teams.

    We are nothing if not resilient. Vamos Argentina! Let’s finish second and take the other route to the finals.. vamos!

  11. One issue with Argentina I’ve not seen anyone here mention is that we don’t have players who are accurate with long-distance shots. In tight games like this this is where it comes in handy.

    This loss also revealed how disloyal and fickle a lot of you fans are. Argentina didn’t play that bad. The offside interpretation and defenders hesitating is what killed us.

  12. I’m a realistic guy, I don’t buy some people’s shit on here whose passion and love blind them from assessing any hindsight. Argentina will exit the group stage and will be the most shocking even in this world cup unfortunately. We didn’t have replacements for certain key players and that hurt us, besides we don’t have young speedy players, most of players are still suffer from injuries. The coach hasn’t been tested before facing teams like Saudi Arabia or Poland.

    • At least in 2018 we didn’t lose to a team like Saudi by 2 goals. Even our game against France was neck to neck. This is a disaster.

  15. So will it be like 1990 when Argentina made it to finals?
    Or will it be like 2002 when Argentina went out in group stages?

    Will it be like Spain in 2010, where they went to on win the title?
    Or will it be like Germany in 2018, where they went out from group stages.

  16. I wish we could have control mid field better in start of 2nd half…. Everyone knows first 10-15 mints are very crucial. And we gave 2 very easy goal to opponent. Scaloni was beaten by coach tactically.

  17. most shameful WC performance by an Argentine team ever. Shocked at what I just witnessed. completely outplayed and bullied by the Saudis. Why the shit change the formation in a WC match. 2 man midfield and a 4 old man attack (combined age 130, oldest Argentine attack in 90 years). Scaloni eat this. What a scumbag. The fans deserve more. Feel for the guys in the stadium, the shit they have to take, afterll Argentine fans have been the noisiest in Quatar. Once again Argentina done by Fraud coach. Messi looks injured, I think he is if not he was a disgrace as a leader out there
    There are 42 u 20 players in this world cup (most in the history). England’s best player was Bellingam, Ecuador best player Huancapie, Nederlands best player 19 year old Gapko. Germany, Spain and host of other top teams are loaded with youngsters. The youngest we have is a 21 year old MLS mediocre kid.
    I really believed this time would finish in the top 4. Shit, I’d be surprised if they can even manage to score against Mexico and Poland. Gutted and completely shattered by what I just witnessed.

    • Hmmm… saying messi was possibly a disgrace is harsh. Yes, we lost. Yes, players and coach were out played by the opponent.

      It was Saudi’s day and everything worked out for them. I understand frustration, so let it out 🙂

    • It is unfair to blame the age for this loss. The combined age of 130 years of age among Messi, Di Maria, and Papu, and Otamendi all are heroes in the last 2 years. None of them deserve to be removed.

      • Sergio was saying a simple fact the entire world recognize: you can’t win world cup games with old folks especially if you have 3 old attackers. This is sport not giving a lecture where age means experience.

  19. What we saw today has nothing to do with Nico or LoCelso injury. We were outplayed. Tactically, Physically and Mentally. Saudi did a masterclass. I have never seen us getting outplayed like this before. The Saudi coach came prepared took a risk of playing a high line. With a bit of luck, executed exactly they wanted to execute. We got frustrated with offside goals and played to their hands. We are not out yet. So dont start crying yet. We can come back from this. I beleive we still have it. In every World cup a host nation play really good. Saudi took Qatar’s place as the host.

  20. What is this??!! It’s like an electric shock!

    Anyway, Saudi played their best ever game in history & it’s just an accident I believe. But the most dangerous thing is that this accident may cost us a lot!
    We have to forget today’s memory, take a fresh start again, stay strong together & go ahead. This types of thing may happen anytime. We can just look forward. One lost doesn’t mean all our dreams gone. This team still can win WC. Let’s see. It’s just the first match.
    Vamos!!!!

    • Exactly…

      Let’s hope players realize no team is joking out there. Every team should be respected.

      Saudi took their opportunities and scored. Argentina Pk and offside goals, got them too cocky.

      I’m hoping to look back on Dec 18th and being able to laugh at all the Twitter haters out there.

      Good – let’s get all the high pressure off of us and take Argentina off from being one of the favorites.

  25. Messi dribbling WAY too much and hesitating to shoot, Lautaro faking behind when not offside, Di Maria has no support when he makes runs, Papu/Tagli/Acuña not able to get crosses in because they are always marked/losing the ball due to sloppy control, De Paul being aggressive and winning ball but doing nothing with it except falling over, Paredes fucking up passes and poor marking, Otamendi attitude issue as usual, Romero seemed unfit -I don’t think he was horrible but he just wasn’t getting his marking done well, Molina disappeared,

    Tips for next game: give Lautaro an extra man up front and Messi needs to stop dropping too deep or else he needs to switch, we need to stop relying on through balls and stop passing back so much. Saudi seemed to somehow get the ball and EVERY time they attacked they moved forward. It’s not all about possession(which seems to be what we are doing).

  27. in conclusion
    1,433 to 4231is wrong
    2, left side stroke
    3, short player with out strong tall striker
    4,90% goal come from central not two sides .tactically not all round
    5,lack of speed and physically weak
    6,no wingers

    saudi tactics are spectacular .their 4 defenders moving forward ,narrow the space of central .make you need to dribble to quickly counter offside .at this time we need speedy players and tall striker

    • I think u summed up my 2 paragraph essay much better.

      But I’m gonna say something no one wants to hear but we know it’s true. My guy Messi was struggling today. It’s not his fault but he cannot run like he used to, he needs to bring that PSG role to Argentina and avoid doing crazy dribbles. His crosses and shots are amazing and he should use it more.

      • He needs to play 70 minutes. Dybala should play the other 30. Total waste of Dybala when Messi has no legas after 70 minutes and this is the first match. Next one in 4 days.

        Di Maria played a great 2nd half but his min also should be restricted. Start with Garnacho, eh…. maybe Julian.

      • I was blamed heavily here before but nevermind that is football . Actually the whole team needs to reconstruct
        1,We need tall striker at least one over 185cm
        2,we need wingers .at least four wingers
        3, we need to bring physically strong players not short slow one.
        4, without messi we need to build up a team with different tactics .we can play high ball or tiki taka or counter attack .
        5, Messi ‘generation is over ,he is the best but football is 11players game ,he is aging and bring one Copa America to us that is enough

  28. Always liked Paredes but ridiculous to give him the automatic start when he hasnt even playing for his club. Meanwhile we have a straight replacement in Guido who is the top player on Real Betis which is a better team in a better league.

    Di Maria played a good match in the 2nd half. Keep him as sub!

    Messi cannot play a full match. He needs to be taken out at 70 minutes. That will allow him to play hard the full time and give Dybala a chance.

    Good signs – we dominated but were unlucky. Enzo, Lisandro, Acuna looked good and should start.

  29. Scaloni’s team always doing bad in the first matches of each tournament: Copa 2019, Copa 2021, and This World Cup 2022. His record is 2 lost and 1 draw:
    Copa 2019 losing 0-2 against Colombia
    and this WC losing 1-2 against Saudi.
    Draw once in Copa 2021 (draw 1-1 against Chile)

    But his team looked very good overall in the previous 2 tournaments. In 2019, we were robbed by the referee remember? In Copa 2021 we grew stronger each game until we reached the peak in the final.

    So why panic? It is better to lose now than in the nsecond round or QF game for example because of being cocky.

    • I agree. It’s better to lose now. Even if it’s to Saudi, which isn’t the worst team in the cup.
      I don’t think this match was lost because of tactics and formations, player picks etc.
      I think we lost because our mentality,…. We lost psychologically. We seemed out of the game near the end of the first half after the off side decisions.

      • The crowd is very hostile and very against us. I remember someone said here playing in Qatar is like playing at home. What I saw was the opposite. I have never heard any such hate that came from the crowd in Spain 82, Mexico 86, Italy 1990, USA 1994, France 1998, Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, and Russia 2018. None of these countries gave such hostile treatment to Argentina. We got the most support in Brazil 2014.

        This Qatar WC, almost everyone booed Argentina AND MESSI. Definitely not a good place to play.

        Even the first game of Qatar and Ecuador. Ecuador did not get the hate that much from the home crowd unlike us.

    • “So why panic? It is better to lose now than in the nsecond round or QF game for example because of being cocky.”

      If we have a second round or QF. This is a stage to get panicked. I admire that you are trying to instill a positive vibe but nothing is more important than taking the frustration out at this moment.

    • Totally agree. Let’s move forward and use this as an example.

      Yes, I was not expecting the lose but let’s get ready for Mexico and Poland. I think we’ll need to win both games now, so it’s made the nervousness go up since we have to beat Mexico.

    • Its time to panic. We need to win both the games which will be tough. We need favorable results from other teams in the group. Favorism and groupism is the reason of this debacle

  30. Guys calm down…Spain came in as clear favorites for the 2010 world cup after their 2008 Euro win and lost its first match against Switzerland and went on to win the WC…prob they were too confident…Our players might have been overconfident too..Let this be a wake-up call for them..VAMOSSSS ALBICELESTEEEEE

  31. The pressure in the remaining two matches is huge. Physically, the sport’s foundation is clearly questionable. Many players have just recovered from injuries. Stupid doctors have poisoned the player with a lot of grilled meat instead of fruit. Now they are also turning into that barbecue. If you like to eat barbecue, learn how the French eat barbecue with a lot of wine but the body must be in a healthy state, not while recovering from an injury.

      • Do you know why Leo had to give up his coke habit? That is compulsory. The team must give up the bad habit now. The problem is that they don’t understand what is affecting their health with the arrogant team of doctors.

  32. It’s one game. Very upsetting but a blessing in disguise. You do not go on and win the World Cup on an unbeaten streak, it at times felt like pursuing two goals tho this was never said. That one is over and players and the team are shocked INTO MORE FOCUS. Spain lost first game in 2010 and went on to win. Lost to Switzerland but that is besides the point, the point is that they started that winning campaign with a loss. No much has changed, no much should change. The mystic, the magic, is gone, sure. Great! they can now just play and the team is good and talented enough to move on. Vamos!!

  33. Blaming scaloni is wrong….. Players needed to take some responsibility.
    There weren’t any movements upwards…. No one in the team to pass the ball quickly.
    We weren’t physical.
    I think we really missed lo celso and Gonzalez.
    We needed creativity of lo celso and pace of gonzalez(since the line was so high). Lautaro just lacks pace.
    So I won’t blame scaloni. His plans were working in the first half if only our forwards knew the offside rule.

  34. The team who wins world cup needs super skill or fast wingers or mix of both. We do not have wingers except ADM. From left side no one could break the line. That is why Garnacho was needed.

  35. Someone once said: the fires of youth cannot be replacement with money of fame. Look at the youngsters in the English squad (Bellingham, Foden, Saka). We should have taken Garnacho and started Alvarez and Enzo. We lacked energy in the first half playing at half speed.

      • Lol you can say that but you’re using hindsight to back how you feel…. Macalister and Enzo are in great club form but have little to no contribution yet. Scaloni doesn’t have that luxury. The problem was he fielded too many players recovering from injury.

  36. Here guys good news! I found this for you:

    bigsoccer.com/forums/saudi-arabia.1072/

    Go join the forum you newest Saudi Arabia fans. It is more fun there. They are partying!

  37. I tried being positive and wishing good luck but this team came playing like it was a training ground or friendly.

    35 unbeaten means nothing. This is the World Cup. Saudi were faster, taller, and showed they had skill on the ball.

    We are too predictable. Kept trying the long ball to DiMaria. We saw that in the Copa final. Now everyone knows that play! Tagliafico was a weakling. Garnacho was needed on the left. We could have also used Giovanni Simeone for those 9+ crosses.

    Enzo needs to start moving forward as he was very comfortable with the ball and made some passes that other players could not make today.

    Let this be a wake-up call!

    Pray for our team guys.

    Vamos Argentina!

  38. Spain in 2010 lost its first match and went on to win the WC…In 1978 Argentina lost one of its group matches and went on to win the WC…Let’s take it as a wake-up call…I hope this makes Scaloni see the team’s weakness and rectify it…VAMOS ALBICELESTEEEEE

    • Maybe if there had to be a wake up call this was the best time. I’m done commenting for today but Argentina en las buenas y en las malas. Here in the good and the bad. It’s one thing to criticize the performance which was objectively bad. But it’s another thing to start saying “this person is shit that person is shit” “this person should replace Scaloni” “Sampaoli this sampaoli that”. Everyone that says that can shove it up their ass. VAMOS ALBICELESTE TODAVIA POBRE DEL QUE QUIERA ROBARNOS LA ILUSION

  40. Penalty was the worst thing that could happen to us. Also, the team was very slow. Paredes wasn’t running, and Papu can’t run, and I am not sure what was happening with DePaul. We have too many players standing around and we tried to score cheap goals with the long ball instead of pressing high and quick passing. I don’t know what will happen against Mexico and Poland but until we beat someone convincingly nobody will fear us. This is especially bad because you can’t lose to a poor team. This team for whatever reason was completely unprepared and totally nervous. They couldn’t even run. They looked paralyzed out there because of the pressure. I just can’t understand how many big game players we have that just shrink in the World Cup because of their nerves. So mentally weak it’s pathetic. A docile group of sheep. God I miss the warrior Maradona used to be. Back then, they feared his anger, even Pasarellas more than the fans or media. That was leadership on the pitch.

  41. It’s not about the coach. Coach doesn’t play on the field. Scaloni’s coaching gave us 36 unbeaten run and two cups. Our team is slow and aging, but Scaloni selected the best group. Even today’s match, Scaloni responded fast, made changes, what else could he do?

    It’s just Argentina choked, as they always do. It was not like KSA scored a lucky goal and parked bus. Rather, we scored first. KSA starting to dominate midfield caught Argentina off guard and they choked. Argentina choking in big moments has become a legacy.

    • Agree. .. This team strength was running and fighting not doing show off.
      They were taking too many touches to release the ball.
      I think we will still go to r16.

    • @Csabalala
      “suck these asian clowns”
      Not words to use lightly. I’m from Asia but support Argentina till death. In spite of bitch-ass clowns like you. The Asians played better than Arg period. If your little punkass cannot handle it you can go play dress- up in your room with your barbie. I’m an Asian clown and you can suck me whenever you’re ready.
      You should be ashamed of yourself. Playing the race card as soon as your back is to the wall. That’s the difference between you and a human. Eat shit.

      Vamos Albiceleste!

      • I’m also disgusted by the behavior of otamendi when a KSA player wanted to shake hands but he refused multiple times. And now this csbalala , what’s your problem argentina people !!!
        every good or bad thing has it’s ending, 36 winning streak is a good thing but our lost today isn’t all bad either , I always fared what if we lost the winning streak in final! then this winning streak would feel like hell. better to lose now then later. this forum is so toxic , if we win then we are the best team ever , and if we lose then there is no hope. There is no middle ground here. Anuporno always tried to make us(mundo fan) humble but this forum made him a negativity guy . I know it doesn’t matter but I won’t be coming here anymore, because i want to be an argentina fan .

  44. Scaloni was starting 433. All of sudden he went to 4231 by looking at England and Ecuador win. But he forgot we don’t have fit and speedy wingers..! They thrashed asian opponents..so Scaloni thought it’s going to be easy…he forgot Saudi didn’t allow more than 2 goals…in their recent history…!

    Now, we are in BIG trouble..but still I am sure we will qualify for the second round..May be God wants us in other path ..who knows….I am being positive here….!

    • Spain lost their opener in 2010 and still win cup.
      Today is a wake up call.
      I’m trying to stay positive but in worried.
      Our team didn’t have that spark we have had over the last two years.

  45. Let’s talk about R16 vs France and QF vs England?

    Winning this WC is mission impossible now. I’m heartbroken 💔

    I’ve said that before. When you consider MLS player, this tells you something about our talent pool. Today, DePaul and Paredes played just like MLS players.

  46. People are talking shit about coach and blah blah blah. Did you even see all of our players can’t control the ball properly , let alone power and strength. The way they run itself is not right. There is something really wrong out there. This is not a joke. This is not about we are missing lo Celso or ganarcho or whatsoever. It is useless whatever the tactic Scaloni use , if you can control the ball or run properly. The whole team is not performing and this is really scary.

      • It was clear. We were sluggish, no midfield, no sense of urgency until the 2nd goal. We were being complacent and we paid the price. I’m literally having the memory of 2002. I hope, this is the wake-up call for this group. I still believe, we can win this.

  48. first of all this is not scaloni’s fault. Im surprised was seeing first 45 minutes. There was too lazyness,casual pass.not high intensity.suadi arabia defended 10 men.in previous Argentine played good against bus parking team but today there was so lazyness.if Argentina played the whole match like how they play after conceding second goal this match would have been Argentina’s pocket.

  50. Well…. First game and tough loss.. I think they honestly needed that. They were playing too slow and cocky first half. Kinda like, we got this win.

    Breaks my heart to lose but it happens. Worse case scenario I get to watch 2 more games with Messi on the team. He seemed off today but that’s okay. Loved watching him play.

    I had a feeling we would go through in second place. Mexico going through first

  51. The team had 0 creativity in the middle. Lo Celso lost is huge but can we talk about the game of Paredes and De paul ? They was awfull. Gomez had no Impact, Di Maria play alone, Messi no idea.

    Now the team is in BIG trouble….

    • Depaul and paredes where not at their best.. enzo should start aheaf of paredes. He was faster in transition play and defended better.

      Alvares was better than papu. Papu always passes ro the right, he cuts in.. we need with on left.. we lost nico and loceso and papu is not a left attacker.. acuña is not 100% not attacking defenders.. tagla is not a threat upfront.. so keep Taglafico who defended well and let Alvarez hustle that side. Play a 442 with messi helping the Middle.

      Messi WAITING for the ball. He needs to go get it. Work ir up.

      Cuti should not start unfit. Lizandro in. We are a shooooorrt team now. If ota gets hut we are fucked.

      I think scaloni did all the right moves. The players lost this.

      Macalister could had subbed depaul… But he did improve second half.

      Dinaria gassed out, he cant play 90 min.

      If messi puts his head down again, sub him. Dybala. Messi needs to LEAD

      • Guido would be better than Enzo for paredes as el cholo said. This was supposed to be our easy game. I wish the wake up call came before the wc. Now is not the time for that. It’s time to win.

      • Players just returning from injuries

        Paredes
        Di Maria
        Papu
        Acuna
        Romero

        Ugh, meanwhile we have in form players at those positions. Players returning from injury need to work their way in as subs.

        Di Maria and Acuna played well. Other 3 did not.

  53. Damn, where the hell did all you haters come from all of a sudden??? Lots of names I don’t recognize on this site.. calm down Argentina haters, it’s only game 1.

    • game 1 sets the pace mentally. it’s fine that we lost but you cannot blame people for going AWOL. we all knew egos were up above our heads and we should have seen this coming. all our players where smiling like kids when they came out onto the pitch. Saudis United and shouted hard at us.

  54. Maybe some people here should join Saudi Arabia fan site instead. If you wanna go curse the team, join their fans club man. The team needs support, not your curse or admiration for the Saudi.

    • Totally agree. They are human and BIG wake up call.

      I’m going to hate reading all the if only garrancho was there..

      I do think Enzo played well and understood to switch fields. Julian great runs and defense. Should be considered for papu spot. Paredes very poor but I’ve never been a big fan.

    • Right. A bunch of fools that have literally been on this forum waiting to pounce. I remember “undisputed” was here criticizing the team relentlessly at the beginning of the Copa America and then somehow disappeared until now, funny. Its a bad loss, yes, but a stumble isn’t a fall and to compare this to Sampaoli is ridiculous. Spain lost their first game, don’t forget

  55. Here comes everyone out of the shadows waiting to pounce to criticize our heroes. One game makes Scaloni, De Paul, Messi, Di Maria, Lautaro shit it seems. Horrible loss and wake up call but not a reason in the slightest to give up on anyone. We have two games. We have what it takes to beat Mexico and Poland, we just need to give what it takes.

    • I agree. We can’t peak too early. In my fantasy, I would want Argentina to win 5-0 all the way until the final, but futbol is not like that.

      I believe in this team. They will bounce back stronger. One bad game doesn’t mean we need to change the whole team. No need panic button. Just regroup and play like they know how to play.

      • You can’t use the world cup as improvement opportunities, this is not the qualifiers. Argentina is closer to exit than you think because that was supposed to be their easiest game. You can’t depend on 35 old folks to score for you. What a shit idea, and the midfield, well there was no midfield.

    • What did u said about asian teams yesterday?! Whats ur thought about todays’ result???
      I used to respect u but since ur racist comment… u lost my respect.

  57. We need to play 3 men upfront. Relying on fullbacks for crosses just doesn’t work. Messi also needs to play further up the guy can’t run like he used to needs to be able to play wide. De Paul and Paredes were a disaster today.

    I’ve said this before but de Paul NEEDS TO STOP FALLING. It has won us some fouls but he has wasted so many good runs because he keeps falling. It ultimately ends up fucking up our sync. Paredes needs to leave, the guy cannot move the ball up for his life. Otta and Romero did very bad today, even Eli couldn’t cover up for there mistakes.

    • Unbelievable that we could not break their offside trap.
      But every match is different. Not sure how Poland and Mexico will play us.
      Paredes and RDP huge dropoff plus Lo Celso gone is a huge deal. WE have an entirely different midfield.

    • No he isn’t lol. Scaloni won us our first cup in 28 years. Scaloni made a mistake today. He put in too many players that were recovering from injury.

    • Your negativity didnt work here. Scaloni himself grab 2 cups for Argentina. So trashing talking wont work.

      His lineup is strongest we could imagine sadly, most of our players are not performing. The chemistry is just off.

  59. Lisandro for cutí until he’s fully recovered. Put in acuna for tagliafico. And for fucks sake take out di María. He didn’t even run. Save him as a super sun for now.

    • Di Maria played a good match. But yes, he should not be playing full matches. Messi also needs to play only 70 minutes.

      Tagliafico was good defensively. Acuna sub for Tag is a good tactic if we need more attacking.

      Agree on Lisandro.

  60. Catastrophic, never in my worst dream have ever imagined Saudi will beat us. The last time we were super confident and went to a WC we were crashed out.

    This changes everything for us , No idea how we are gonna qualify to next round after this humiliation. It’s the worst result for us ever in history. Officially.

    It was better we didn’t had any streak at all, Its always better to loose sometimes to get a wake up call. Dont know what to say.

  61. We have a looong way to go. I wish I could have said hard luck or we did our best or bad referee or anything else.. but none will be true.

    I think ee deserved the loss. KSA were outstanding as a 50th ranked team taking it to a #3 rank. THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD PLAY.

    Vamos my beloved Albiceleste. I hope you’re more than an idea or a romantic notion of what you used to be.

    Let’s go!

    • I agree, refereeing was actually so lenient today. Penalty, fouls, and extra time were all favoring us and yet we could do NOTHING. Our players were shocked after that first goal because our egos wouldn’t let us believe a “low ranked” team could ever score.

      Well look how the turntables.

    • It was a matter of time till we lose. Worst defeat in world cup history if you ask me. We lacked height and physicality.why bring Injured players to tournament like this is mind blowing. Time to pray for a miracle because it ain’t looking good at all

  63. my heart is in shambles guys. this is the same feeling of defeat I felt against Iceland, france, Croatia, and Nigeria.

    No justifying this loss we just have to keep our heads high but below the clouds so we don’t get blinded by our previous victories.

  64. Weak Asian teams
    Our Godly defense
    Scaloni knows the best

    Signs of cockiness!

    By the way, what was the point of giving so much starter role to McAllister if he isn’t your player for a game like this!! Could you have done something better with those valuable game times?

    The first loser of this game was Scaloni. He was outclassed and it took him 70 mins to understand it.

    Utterly frustrated!!

  65. It is a good wake up call. We are too cocky coming to the tournament. Don’t lose hope. Spain in 2010 also lost their first game and then won the World Cup eventually.

    This reminds me of Argentina 1990 opening game against Cameroon. We also lost 1-0 against Cameroon who got 3 red card against us. But we went to the final anyway.

    We are not that weak and Saudi is not that strong. It is as simple as that. All the cores played bad today except Di Maria. Messi, De Paul, Paredes, Otamendi, Emi, Cuti, Tagliafico all below average. It won’t happen all those players play bad at the same time again. That’s for sure.

  68. Scaloni is bad coach in this forum,then who will be the next perfect coach for argentina?Basile pasarella Bielsa pekerman maradona sabella sampaoli scaloni all are bad and non perfect coach for argentina who deliver WC at any moment… Guys please say ur choices

  71. De Paul just woke up from his drunkenness… Cheap shit Deigo Simeone is laughing at home because he doesn’t want Messi to win the world cup

  74. Guys take it normally.That is football ,actually you know we lack of speed ,height, and missing some important players .Suffer from left side stroke ,this is world cup ，anything can happen.

  79. World cup demands athleticism, speed, and young age more than experience. Everyone knows this equation except Scaloni, fuck head.

      • Dude garnacho doesn’t even have a cap with us yet…. Enzo is great but he hasn’t contributed much since he hasn’t gelled with us yet. Same with Macalister. Bringing in garnacho would be a mistake. You’re using hindsight to back up how you feel but Scaloni doesn’t have that luxury.

  84. Play for Messi guys … He carried the team for so long. He must be really sad with these clowns … De Paul is the worst thanks to Deigo Simeone the anti-argentina.

  88. I think the lesson here is you can’t just show up and think you are gonna win. This is very embarassing. I’m not sure what comes after this but I think because we have not lost for a long time we have become complacent. I made the comment being on the other side of the bracket is not the worst thing in the world. Maybe this is the wake up call they need. But I would definitely make changes to the line up. Papu is not the answer. Neither is MacAllister. I think you need to play Palacios as he is the most creative of our midfielders.

    • Remember it’s his first experience as the main manager in the world cup. Thee event is bigger than his qualification.

    • Two major reasons: 1′ we lost key players due to injuries. 2- the coach didn’t study well his opponent. He thought it would be a training session.

  108. I saw their training sessions laughing and goofing around with friends and feeling glamorous surrounded by fans. I didn’t see hard work in their training.

  110. They said this would go as the worst loss in world cup history considering the gap between these teams pedigree.

  118. We lost this game, then we play Mexico. I’m seeing a group stage exit…

    I don’t think Lo Celso can do anything here. It’s just game plan, player form and a better Saudi side.

  119. Ottamendi screwed our chances in 2018, and they brought him again to waste another world cup. That’s pathetic.

  123. Where is San Isidro? What do you know about football? Look at your router’s average age, speed, coach tactics, starting 11, all that was not working for Argentina.

  139. Papu is too old. We need young players. Full backs are not playing up to the mark. Tagliafico is very average player. Not at all good defensively. Full backs are important in this lind of matches

    • Suadi is playing a narrow block of 9 players in the mid! No need to control that. Juts knock the ball over like we have been. Need to be super precise with the reffing.

  141. Bring in, Acuna and Julian Alvarez. Papu should be substituted. Saudi Arabia is using their offside trap efficiently so stay alert and focused, they can’t win it at all times. The second half has to be more productive and dynamic.

  142. So where is those guys who were saying our midfield is superb?? So no enzo needed?? Really?? Come on sub paredes play guido sub papu play enzo. Play a proper midfield. This is World Cup. What worked in Copa will not work in world cup. You need to be flexible.

  144. Julian would be great in this match. He can run behind the defense in that short space and is good at pressing. Saudi is playing to give up the ball to pressure in their half.

    Midfield not working at all. RDP is not sharp and Papu playing too much like a winger.

    6 offsides, 2 goals!

  145. All Argentina have to do is have players running from behind instead of trying to break the offside trap all the time. It should be an easy game. Super idiot tactic playing high line against Messi, Di Maria.

  147. Guys u are pathetic….this Argentine team is the best I have ever seen. We don’t miss anyone
    it’s the first game, everyone is nervous. Let’s just hope we score a second goal….
    vamos

  148. Papu Gomes should not get a single min after this game. He is too old and slow. Even Garnacho would have been upgraded over him. Scaloni favoritism will cost this team.

  149. I guess on the positive side we’re winning. Midfield is struggling to be creative and players are having difficulty with offsides. Papu is really lacking fitness and should be the first sub.

    It’s the first half of WC and players are getting accommodated but it’s going to be tough to hold a 1-0 lead.

    Not sure how they haven’t figured out how to have a midefielder collect the ball and one touch to the wingers that’s wide open.

    Anyways these next 15 min are going to take forever. I think Scaloni can see there’s an issue.

  150. Man that was a frustrating first half. They are playing highline defense and also ultra defensive. Messi is heavily marked and our left flank aren’t able to pickup his passes. Multiple errors from our players, fortunately we haven’t been punished until now due to lack of quality opposition attack. Lets see what Scaloni does now. Dybala or Enzo or Correa?

  153. First the pitch is extremely dry and the ball is taking crazy bounces. Second, they need to move the ball through the pitch instead of this long wing pass because none of these dip shits are paying attention to the offside trap. This is a good game to bring in Palacios for Paredes and play more creative. But it’s first game and anybody that watches Argentina knows these guys always have nerves the first game. Hopefully they will calm down.

  154. This is due to too many players coming back from injury. We can fix this by the round of 16 but di María and paredes, papú, de paul are lacking play time

    • Yep, you bring the players in the best form in that particular position. Half of our team is not even playing for their club regularly due to injuries, etc.

      Paredes
      Di Maria
      Acuna
      Romero

  155. Messi is trying to push through… But when you don’t have a midfield you cannot do much… .
    .
    Scaloni will bring on Macalister in half time …

    • Oh yeah Nico strength against this type of players what we needed. Losing both Lo Celso and Nico together was a huge blow.

  159. So far this was not the first half we were all expected , team is struggling. I don’t know if it’s an injury question or they’re just really struggling. Hopefully they can turn things around in the second half .

    • Dude, how can you compete in world cup with three folks upfront aged 35 and 34. Not a chance. Only Di Maria is showing some speed but then again he has no strength while Messi and Papu showed they can’t play a full game at this age.

  164. Saudi will be punished soon in the second half. Argentina love it when playing against high line defenders. It is a stupid tactic. They just got lucky they did not concede 3-0. It is just a matter of time. I will copy and paste this message in the second half. You will see.

    • I disagree, Saudi Arabia played within their strength and their tactic was genius which worked for their limited ability. Their coach is very clever. So far they didn’t allow us to score from open play.

      • You will see in the second half. They should have lost 3-0 easily. Luck doesnt last forever, I will remind you after the game.

        Genius my ass. It is a pure stupidity playing high line against a team that has Di Mari, Messi, and Lautaro. They were just lucky. Period.

  168. Otamendi can’t pass the ball if he in a difficult situation to save his life smh , all his pass have no accuracy he just pass to pass. The team is struggling to build up . Papu look like a supersub then a starter

  169. Oops, all are off colour … Maybe they are just satisfied to win by 1-0 or 2-0 and saving themselves from injury … Or rather all are tired.

  175. Both full backs are not having a good game so far and wtf with all these offside goals. Saudi has done a great homework on their part and also very physical so far.

  179. Saudi Arabia came with a clever scheme. Scaloni didn’t do his homework on Saudi Arabia’s tactics. This is a coaching failure.

    • kind of? I also assumed we would have more side press but they aren’t making use of Papu and Di Maria at all. They are good for drawing out KSA press to the side but none of them are cutting in or crossing properly.

  180. KSA high defensive line is cutting our high press effort. Good run by Lautaro but whole front line needs to rethink their through balls. KSA isn’t even defending at this point just going so high up because they know we will pass through.

  183. KSA is taking advantage of our pace. Playing very high line, they’re denying any space in the midfield, knowing that we don’t have enough pace to break into behind the line.

  194. My alarm clocks worked! Coffee is brewing, kids and wife sleeping, and it’s go time ! Very excited to have the opportunity to watch Messi’s last World Cup. As much as I hope to be writing on December 18th a beautiful message while in tears, I’m going to try and enjoy every minute of the white and blue. Argentina will always have my support. Born in the US with a Colombian descendent, yet somehow My blood runs with Argentina support.

    Vamos cárajo!

  203. This formation will play offensive. Scaloni will be flexible according to each opponent and each variation on the field. Hope everything goes well.

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